


The Union

by cupidty11, LilBanshee



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: AU, Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, Betrayal, Dorks in Love, Eventual Smut, M/M, Marriage, Other, ZaDr, alien makeouts, and vice versa tbh, role play, space travel, zim is a dick but dib falls in love anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-05
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2017-11-23 17:16:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 102,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/624621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cupidty11/pseuds/cupidty11, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilBanshee/pseuds/LilBanshee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: Where Dib has since given up on the paranormal and works with his father. Where Zim has been captured breaking into Membrane Laboratories. Where together they hope to stop Earth from being taken over by coming together in a planetary union. And where they kind of fall in love in the meantime.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> So, Lil-banshee and I have been working on the sequel to this monster. And I've been re-reading this and kinda hate all the typos and vague crap. So, I'm gonna be 'remastering' it? Stay tuned.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim could tell this Dib-thing was going to be a nuisance and that he wasn’t going to like him.

The subject wasn’t human. That was clear right away. It was locked inside a clear cube with a stiff bed and a toilet, added as an afterthought. The laboratory's harsh lights focused on it, a spotlight.

Dib felt his eyes widen and his curiosity was piqued immediately. He was following his father who was talking to another fellow scientist. He’d tuned them out over ten minutes ago, as they’d walked down the hallway towards the restricted wing. And now it was hardly even a buzz in his ear.

The creature on the other side of the indestructible glass had every single bit of his attention. It was green. With giant, red bug eyes and two black antenna poking from its skull. 

Dib was already walking towards the cube, eyes narrowing behind his glasses as he yearned to get a better look at it—His father’s hand smacked down on his shoulder. “An alien, son. Captured trying to infiltrate our lab. The big guys want us to do a full study. Get all the information we can out of it.”

Two more firm pats. “And you’re going to help us. Aren’t you excited?”

Dib tore his gaze away from the creature who seemed to be doing its best to ignore them and looked up at his father whose face was covered, as always by his lab coat.

“Yeah, dad…thrilled.”

* * *

 

It was a simple enough mission; get in and get out with as much information as one could without getting caught. Simple. But, of course, Zim tended to get a bit over zealous; carried away with the excitement of having a mission of his very own. He should have just left while he was still ahead—he had gathered plenty of information on the planet over his year long stay. But, he'd heard of about Membrane labs, and it was his duty to find out as much about them as possible. They supplied most, if not all, of the Earth’s defenses and research. It seemed opportune.

 Zim had taken it a step too far, and his carelessness had put him in his current situation. He folded himself into the corner as much as he could, arms and legs bruised from exerting himself against the walls in a futile effort of escape. He could feel those tiny eyes on him as he huddled against the cold wall. 

Zim peeked over his shoulder at the aliens that surrounded him like a caged animal, making eye contact, briefly, with odd amber irises before turning away once more. He had to escape. He just needed to bide his time.

* * *

 

  
They’re eyes met and Dib was backing away from the cage. One step, two step before turning to his father. “So uh, how are you going to do this?”

Membrane held up a holo clip-board. “First, we test its intellect. See if it can speak. Then we delve into the physical. How much it can lift, what it eats. Observe its habits. Then finally when the government gives us the go-ahead we can learn everything else from its insides.”

The boy bit his bottom lip and nodded along. The idea wasn't shocking. Dib had seen more than his fair share of autopsies in his life. Many creatures, mostly humans, dead or close to it...under white sheets, stained a variety of colors. And the scientists surrounding the table, laughing with one another, making jokes, casual conversation. 

He dared glance back at the creature inside the cube. It was curled into the furthest corner from them, eyes cast down and its expression was angry, determined and…was there fear? Understandable.

“Is it a male or a female?” Dib wondered, pushing up his glasses a bit as they always seemed to be falling down his nose. Not that it mattered, per say. Hell, maybe its species had a whole different binary. Or none at all. 

“We don’t know yet. Perhaps we shall find out soon.” Membrane was pleased to see his son’s curiosity, and led the boy over to the control panel. Here they could do anything; limit the air inside the prison, change the lighting, inject toxins and other chemicals, and allow full audio.

He pushed a few buttons and the sound barrier lessened. The creature could now hear everything outside its cage and they could hear everything inside. All the scientists hushed themselves as the microphones beeped to signal the recording sequence.

“Hello. My name is Professor Membrane. I'm the overseer of this compound. Do _you_ have a name?” 

The booming voice that flooded Zim’s containment caused the small Irken to jerk and shoot up from his corner. He whirled around, his magenta eyes sharp in the sudden activity around him, and met with Membrane's. He had to fight the natural instinct to wilt under the gaze of such a taller creature, and he puffed out his chest dramatically to do so.

On his short time on Earth, Zim was able to listen and decipher most of the language through his PAK. Though it took him a moment to decide whether or not it would be a good idea to answer the Earthling or not, he decided it was best to humor it until he could make his brilliant escape.

“Of course,” Zim answered, trying to fit as much confidence as he could muster into his voice. He crossed his arms and looked the human up and down. “I am Zim; an Elite soldier for my planet.” His eyes narrowed as he added the last part, trying to make his message clear; I am a soldier, and I won’t go down with a fight, so be careful what you try.

The scientist nodded, while the others began taking frantic notes. “I see. And you speak English. How is it that you've manage this?” Dib was biting his lip so hard that he nearly drew blood. This was a real life alien. The kind of thing he’d been thinking about since he was a kid. When he’d sat on his roof and dreamed about flying through the stars and meeting new life forms and making peace with them. 

Now it was here. And he’d been right all along. There was a buzzing in his ears as he stared, taking in the fighting stance, the alien’s proud antenna and its skin and those eyes were huge like a bugs but so much brighter. They reminded him of pictures he’d seen of gaseous nebula, swirling forever in bright, dust clouds of magenta and maroon. 

Zim shifted his pose a bit. The Earthling’s voice causing him to feel on edge. He hated the authority the large male put off, and Zim did his best to counter it with his own conviction.

“I'm very adaptive,” was all he said, hesitant to give out anymore information than need be. His eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted over to the other Earthling. The one who looked like a smaller version of Membrane. 

He seemed nervous, as he worried his bottom lip excessively. His amber eyes were the ones he had met before; they weren’t hard to recognize. They burned with purpose behind those round lenses as they fixated on Zim. He turned his head to stare at the strange human fully, sizing him up. He was tall, sure, but he was still scrawny. Zim could take him if need be.

It was a few seconds before Dib realized that the alien…Zim, was staring right back at him. Dib blinked and lifted his chin, straightening his back under the stare.

Membrane glanced between them both, raising an eyebrow at the sudden staring showdown. “This is my son, Dib. The future of the Membrane Empire.” The human fought the cringe that rose up upon hearing that. It wasn’t new. He’d heard it a thousand times before and just a few years ago he’d given in and realized that’s what he was:the future heir to an Empire of science. 

“He will be helping me study you. And just so you know, Zim.” Membrane used the alien’s name, probably in an attempt to get it to trust him. “We do not wish to hurt you. You broke into our facility…which is a crime. But, you are a new species. A chance to learn something new. We wish to discover everything about you. Then when the time comes you will be released.”

Dib’s head shot to the side, finally ripping his own eyes away from Zim’s to stare at his father. That was…a lie. They planned to rip open the ‘irken’ once it had exhausted its usefulness.

Zim stiffened a bit at the motion the Dib-creature gave his taller counter-part. There was something more to this, but at the moment he couldn’t care less. Zim just needed to focus on getting out of here alive. The Human seemed to be willing to cooperate, as long as Zim humored him.

“So be it,” Zim waved a gloved hand through the air. “Ask your questions so I can go home!” 

Membrane nodded and looked down at his holo clip-board. “We have a full list of inquiries for you. Just the usual. What is your gender? Or does your species have one?” 

Zim rolled his eyes and set his hands on his hips. This was going to be a long night. How was he supposed to cooperate when they weren’t even going to ask about how amazing he was? He huffed and gave a small shrug.

“My people do not rely on gender, but if you must label me as something, then I am a male. Can I come out of the box, now?” The sheen on his magenta orbs danced as he gave to two an expectant stare. The Dib-creature seemed to have relaxed a bit, and this gave Zim some hope; the human’s earlier stance was setting Zim on edge.

Finally, Dib could stop calling the alien ‘it’ in his head. Well, that also assumed the irken used any pronouns. Let alone 'he/him'. Hmm. Dib decided to use 'they/them' mentally until he could personally ask Zim. And he would. 

Membrane nodded while all the scientists frantically made notes in their selective notebooks. “I’m afraid not quite yet. We have a few more questions.”The teenager rolled his eyes and found a chair to sit on in his over sized lab coat. It was going to be a long night.

They asked question after question. And Dib was fascinated, not exactly by the questions though he listened to them with rapt attention. But, by the alien who responded to each one like it was their privilege to hear their answers. 

But, still, they were the real thing. And when many of the scientists decided to call it a night, Dib nearly popped up out of his seat. Thank god. Membrane’s fingers danced over the controls, setting things up for the night. “We’re finished for now, irken Zim. We will continue this in the morning.” Before waiting for a response, the microphones shut off, cutting all the sound away.

His father turned to him. “Dib. I need to go finalize some things before we can leave. Can you keep out of trouble?” The boy nodded, trying to look as serious and responsible as possible.

“Of course, dad. I’m not a kid anymore.” Membrane chuckled, and ruffled his hair.

“Of course not, Son.” And with that he walked out, leaving the lab empty but for Dib and the alien. A second later, he was walking towards the giant prison, biting his bottom lip and cautiously stepping up to the glass.

His eyes narrowed behind the glasses as he studied the irken.

Zim huffed in protest, stomping his foot and cursing at the glass. But his protests fell short against the thick glass as the scientists sauntered away. All but one, that was.  
What was this thing’s problem? The Dib-thing, Zim remembered. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Zim since he had been put in this stupid containment room.

Zim paced behind the glass, his narrowed eyes never leaving the human. Zim had to say, he was far less interested in humans than they were of him. Granted Irkens were obviously superior, but Zim only wanted to go home. He wanted to report to his leaders on a job well done so they would be proud of him. He wanted them to watch him launch the first organic sweep as they destroyed life on this filthy dirt ball. Even more so now that they had annoyed him by sticking him in this box.

But he had to admit to himself; there was something about this Dib that stuck out. His demeanor was different that the other ones. He seemed much more...aware of everything.  
But even then, the Irken was pretty fed up with being stared at after a while. He walked up to the glass and banged on it.

“What?!” He barked, even though the Dib wouldn’t be able to hear him.

Dib watched the irken’s movements, fascinated but nearly jumped when he yelled or at least tried to yell through the glass. He could easily tell what Zim was saying though. Holding up a finger, he scampered over to the control panel and flipped on the microphone, and turned off the recordings. “There. You should be able to hear me now…”

“What do you want?” Zim asked again. He followed him with wide steps to stand in front of him, his hands on his hips. “Why are you still here? Are you going to pester Zim with more pointless questions?” His eyes narrowed as he tried to read the human’s posture. “Or are you going to set Zim free?” He asked with some hope. Although he doubted it.

Dib rolled his eyes at the irken, putting his hands on his own hips in a mocking sort of gesture. “No. I’m not going to set you free. I’m not going to ask you pointless questions. I’m still here because my dad is off doing more science stuff. And I want to talk to you.” 

Dib lifted his face and stared at Zim intently. They were separated by nearly three inches of pure indestructible material. So, Dib knew he was safe. But, under that gaze he still felt kind of vulnerable. He defied the voice in his head that told him to stop getting closer. He walked all the way until his nose nearly touched the surface. From here he could see Zim’s uniform and the rips, the stains from grease and dirt. Maybe a bit of blood too. Probably took out a guard or two when they tried to sedate him for capture.

“I’m sorry I’m gawking. I’ve never seen an alien before. And I’ve been told I’m too curious for my own good.” He smirked bitterly. “However, I’m also told that’s a good quality for a scientist to have.”

Zim sighed and turned on his heel, marching over to the bed provided for him and plopped down, wearily. He wouldn’t sleep, but he had been standing the whole time he answered their silly questions, not wanting to let his guard down. The Dib-creature didn’t seem to pose any real threat, not compared to Membrane, after all. Although without the thunderous professor around, Dib did seem to look much taller. Even so, Zim could tell this Dib-thing was going to be a nuisance and that he wasn’t going to like him.

“Talk is boring, but if you must,” Zim sighed, crossing his legs on the hard mattress and resting his hands on his knees. He closed his eyes to give himself a rest from all the bright colors. Dib, himself radiated light like a small star; his pale skin and white lab coat reflecting the harsh florescent lights of the lab, the only relief was his dark hair. Even his eyes seemed to be burning, though more out of excitement and maybe a bit of anxiety than anything else.

Dib’s head tilted to the side as Zim sat on the bed, eyes closed. It gave him a much more relaxed quality. Without the burning eyes, he seemed less threatening. “Well, I could just stare at you all night. But, that feels kind of creepy.”  Dib grabbed the chair he’d vacated earlier and dragged it over to the far side where Zim’s bed was located and sat, head in hands. "I wanna just clear up one thing first. I kept calling you 'it' in my head but, that's rude generally. And I don't know if 'they' is appropriate either? I guess, I'm wondering if you use pronouns? And what they might be? Just, so I don't like..cause an intergalactic war."

Zim waved his hand dismissively, eyes still closed. "As with gender or sex, irkens do not care. But, on earth most have taken to calling me 'he' or 'him'. You may as well." 

Dib nodded, serenely and filed that information away for further thought. He cleared his throat and thought of further questions. He supposed this kind of went against the whole 'not asking questions' thing but...

“So…why did you come to earth? Was it some sort of information gathering mission?  I’ll bet it was. You were trying to break into a science building after all. One of the biggest on this planet. You probably heard all about it and got all greedy for the knowledge. That or the deadly weapons and chemicals.”

Zim cracked one eye open and looked at him with a weary expression. Why did he ask if he already knew? Did he just want some form of confession from him? Was he trying to prove something? He shifted his shoulders a bit before closing his eyes again.

“My leaders sent me here to gather information on your planet, yes.” He decided to spare the details about the invasion; it might not be smart to give that away while he was still contained. He’ll let that part be a little surprise. “They trusted me with this mission, which is why I need to get back as soon as possible.”

He cracked his eyes open again. “And I am not greedy for wanting to do a job well done!” He _had_ gotten a smidgen overzealous. He wasn’t about to admit that, though. Was he that easy to read? Or maybe this Dib-creature was just a bit more observant than he had given him credit for. He seemed rather eager to just sit and talk with an alien, superior or no. What was his angle?

“And are you not overjoyed to be around all this knowledge?” Well two could play at this game; Zim could see by the hesitant glances to the Membrane-creature that there was something Dib wasn’t exactly grateful for. It wasn’t hard to pick up on.

Dib sat up straighter in his seat, trying to seem more confident than he actually was. “I don’t mind it, no. I admire knowledge. But, we aren’t talking about me, Zim. I want to learn about you. Humans have yet to have much contact with the universe. You’re the first. That we know of…and when you leave…” If you leave. Which you won’t. “That’s gone. So, I just want to know…what is it like? Being out there…” His mind began to conjure frequently thought of images. “In space. With the stars and the nebulae…seeing all the different kinds of species and places. You must be so free.” To be able to go where ever you want in all of the universe. “No rules. No gravity…”

“To imply there are no rules or that we are free to do as we care is not an entirely accurate statement.” Zim corrected, turning more to face the human. “The Irken race has one singular goal, and we work all our lives as a whole in order to accomplish it. We all have our jobs and duties to attend to—trained from hatching to fulfill our responsibilities.” He moved his hands around a lot as he talked, getting excited about his home. 

“But being a soldier, I get to visit other planets, yes. Though every moment away from Irk is dreadful, and honestly not very glamorous. There are a lot of disgusting creatures out there.” He shrugged a bit. “Humans must be even more primitive than I thought if you haven’t even left your own planet yet. How do you expect to defend yourselves?”

Dib was pretty much as thrilled as Zim was to hear about his home planet, eyes alight with curiosity as he watched the alien’s excited motions. Though it soon dimmed when he heard the end statement. “Well, we’ve flown to the moon.” He shrugged. “And there isn’t really anything big to defend ourselves from. At least outside of our planet. We actually do much of our fighting internally.”

The human situated himself on his chair. “We’re not like Irkens. We don’t really have one goal, as you say. We kind of…find the thing we want to do as we grow. And there’s not just one ruler. We have many, many different kinds and it’s just…very unorganized.” But enough about humanity and it's faults. “What is this…’singular goal’ you were talking about?”

Of course Zim wanted to boast and brag about his empire and all they had accomplished but he had to careful. If the humans knew Zim was here in preparation for the coming invasion, they would never let him out. He had to refrain from bragging about Irk’s glory, for the time being. He stiffened a bit as he tried to find a way out of the situation, eyes darting back and forth frantically.

“Oh, um. We’re a delivery planet. We deliver packages all over the galaxy.” He nodded and chuckled nervously, stripping his lie from one of the planets they had taken over recently. It wasn’t a delivery planet before, but it was _now_. “Oh, yeah. We Irkens are very passionate about mail. Love the stuff. Can’t get enough of it.” Zim mentally patted himself on the back; these were the moments he had been trained for. Another crisis avoided.

Huh. Dib eyed the irken's suddenly awkward demeanor. No doubt that was all a huge lie. “Mail, eh? Sounds um, awesome. So what does mail have to do with you coming to Earth and gathering informati—“

“Son!” Membrane called through the door. Dib gasped and back pedaled from the chair.  
  
“Yeah dad?!” He called back. His voice echoed minutely.  
  
“I’m ready to go!”

“Okay! Let me just…get my stuff and I’ll be right out!” He turned back towards the prison. “Look, in the morning they’ll come for you early. Probably 6 or 7. They’re most likely just going ask you some questions…but, they also might sedate you and try to take some blood for a sample.” Dib had no idea why he was sharing this information, only that it was pouring from his mouth and he couldn’t seem to stop it.

With that, he quickly flipped the microphone switch and grabbed his backpack from the furthest desk, sprinting to the door. He stopped only for a second to look back over his shoulder at the dimly lit prison before making his exit.

Zim could do little else but sit and watch the boy vanish from his sight. His cherry eyes glowing eerily from his spot in his gloomy entrapment as he hunched over on the bed, staring into the darkness. He was left alone with nothing but his thoughts, and an occasional flickering light from one of the several machines that surrounded his prison.

There was no presence of time for the small alien until the lights flickered overhead, flooding the room with a harsh florescent light.


	2. A Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ve been watching my dad do experiments my whole life. They find subjects, learn everything they can from them and then…open them up to see what else they can learn from the inside.”He felt sick and threw his pencil, not that it would do much. He just couldn’t stand being so nonchalant anymore. “Zim, I don’t think it’ll ever be done.”

They had come for Zim, just as the boy said they would. 

Unfortunately, they came prepared for the ordeal; with ridiculous looking 'hazmat' suits and guns. Zim was outnumbered, and he knew that if he were to try now to escape, they’d have him pegged in no time. No. Brute force was not an option in this case. He’d have to find another means of escape.

For now, he would show the humans what a good little Irken looked like. He rolled up his sleeve for them. The strangely hued blood flowed easily into their canister and they left almost as quickly as they had come, content for the moment.

* * *

 

A few more hours passed until Membrane came in with his son, who had his backpack thrown over his shoulder. He’d brought his homework with him. There had been two choices; either go home right after skool or come with Dad. The choice hadn't been a choice after all. There was no way he was going to pass up a chance to observe the irken more.

“Alright, Dib. Why don’t you do your studying? We have to do some analyzing of the irken's blood and skin samples.” Dib bit his lip and stared down the hallway in the direction of Zim.

“Hey uh, Dad? Could I do my work in the cell room? It’s the quietest place.” Membrane thought for a few seconds before conceding.

“Fine son. I shall be back soon.” With that the great professor swirled down the hallway and Dib turned in the opposite direction, first walking and then breaking into a run. He typed in the code to the door and slid a piece of his hair through the DNA scanner. Slipping into the brightly lit room, the boy put his backpack down on a nearby table and walked towards the control panel.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the irken reacting to his presence. Dib forced himself to switch on the microphone before turning to get a full look at Zim. A bit rumpled in his pink uniform, although he was surprised they let him keep it. 

“Hi.” Dib said, his voice echoing in the large room. Under the harsh lights Zim looked paler, his eyes standing out dramatically.

Zim’s antennae perked at the sound of the familiar voice and the small alien hopped off the bed.

“You again.” He regarded the human, not necessarily in a bitter tone. “You seem rather excited.” A bit too excited, for Zim’s taste. It was bad enough being locked in here, and this particular human’s gawking only rubbed Zim’s nerves even more. Then again, it was better than being poked and prodded. He rubbed his arm, still a bit sore. “I see your superior let you off your leash for the time being.”

Dib’s head tilted to the side, curiously. “He’s not my superior…he’s my father.” The boy’s gold eyes slipped to where the irken was rubbing his forearm. “They took the blood. They’ll be a while as they analyze it. “ He wanted to walk closer to the cube but, instead picked up a holoclip board and began flipping through the charts, eyeing the x-rays and noticing something peculiar; there seemed to be a pod attached to Zim’s back. Many wires were intertwined with his spine. It looked gruesome but, Zim seemed in no pain so it must be normal.

The term the human used was unfamiliar to Zim, but he had heard it many times in his short time on Earth. As far as Zim could tell, it meant that the smaller human lived with the larger one, and was trained by him throughout the years. It was a strange concept to the Irken, and seemed a little unproductive to him. But things on this planet rarely ever seemed to make sense.

“Well I hope they don’t take too long.” He grumbled impatiently, tapping his foot against the tiled floor. “I want to be off this infernal planet, already.”

Zim watched the human with a small amount of curiosity until he pulled out the holoclip. He craned his neck a bit to try and get a look at what seemed to pique the human’s interest, his antennae sticking straight up in the air.

Dib explored the irken’s anatomy for a moment , occasionally glancing back at the real one to compare. “Hm.” His mind perked at his first comment about wanting to leave soon. A little wiggle of doubt and unease crept into his mind only to be silenced by another glance at Zim with his antenna sticking up in the air.

It had Dib pausing for a second, eyes wide and curious. He tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. What was the subject doing? Was this another way of expressing hostilities or was he just as curious as Dib was? It was…well, it reminded him of when a cat heard a sound that got it’s attention and it’s ears perked. “Zim... Um, I have a few questions…if you’ll answer them?” 

Zim’s shoulders slumped, his antennae returning to their relaxed position as he let out a small groan. “More?” He complained,straightening his back. “How many questions do you humans have?” He ran a gloved hand over his face in frustration. For the last two days he'd been bombarded with an endless sea of questions. Hadn’t he told them everything? What was it with these creatures and their endless inquiries? Didn’t they have better things to do with their time? Like defending themselves from an incoming invasion?

The thought made Zim smirk a bit, and he had to hide his mouth behind his hand before regaining his composure.

“I will answer your questions, of course.” His tone was that of reluctance, but he didn’t have much choice.

Dib flipped the hover mode on the holoclip and turned it to Zim, pointing at the spot on his x-ray where the pod was attached to his back. “What’s that?”

Zim marched up to the glass, a claw to his lips in curiosity as his eyes scanned over the image. His antennae perked up in recognition, but he hesitated. The scientists from before had asked these questions and Zim had expertly derailed them. Now however... How much was he willing to give out about his person?  After a moment, he reluctantly turned his back to show the human the small metal pod that nestled against his upper back.

“My PAK.” He stated plainly. “It holds everything that is Zim. It’s very important, naturally.”

Dib licked his lips and stared at the PAK on the screen before glancing sideways at Zim.. It was shiny in the bright lighting with three pink dots. “So…” His brain went into overdrive. “You’re saying that...your ‘PAK’ is you?” That was even more confusing. And yet, terribly intriguing. “How do you mean?” Dib asked, meeting Zim’s eyes.

“I mean exactly what I said; everything that is Zim is within this PAK. Memories, experiences, personality and most of all, my greatness.” He explained before he could stop himself. “Without it, I would die.” His hands moved around the air as he talked, his ruby eyes wandering as he tried to express the importance of his PAK.

“T-That’s…” Dib searched for the proper words. “Incredible.” He put the holoclip down and walked up closer to the glass, gold eyes studying the irken. “It’s your personality. Your brain? It’s all in a little…pak.” His eyebrows rose, as the human tried to comprehend that idea. “I’m assuming you’re not born with it. They put it on you. How come?”

Unconsciously, he raised a hand to the glass as he leaned in, wanting to get a closer look at it.

Zim shifted a bit, feeling uncomfortable under the human’s stare. Although it was something that he was beginning to get used to, unfortunately. He had been gawked at more in the time spent in this tiny prison than in his entire lifespan anywhere else.

“Well, it helps us live longer and be more efficient.” He answered, his unease seeping into his voice. He wasn’t sure how to explain it to the human in words exactly what a PAK does. It was something you’d have to experience, but the curious gaze the human was emitting was so demanding that Zim was almost compelled to answer.

Under any other circumstance, Dib might not have noticed how uncomfortable he was making his subject (or even care all that much). But, for some reason he could feel the ripple of unease that Zim was sending off and it had his gaze flickering towards the alien’s face and suddenly he was backing away from the cell.

“Sorry. I get…intense." Clearing his throat, the boy grabbed his backpack and opened it up, dumping the contents onto the floor and staring at it, with no small amount of distaste. Science and math were easy. History was okay. But, English was one of his worst subjects. And he had a whole essay to complete by morning. With a sigh, he grabbed his English textbook and opened it to the proper page, laying it on a nearby table and sitting in a chair. “My father won’t be back for a while...”

Zim was relieved, if not surprised, that the human backed down a bit. Though he had to admit that the creature had something the other humans lacked, and that in itself was worth a second glance.  
He rounded his shoulders before pacing the small perimeter of his glass cage, feeling restless.

“How long is this going to take?” Zim asked impatiently. He huffed before stopping to look at the books Dib had dug out of his bag, recognizing some of them from his earlier research.  
These humans really were starving for knowledge, weren’t they?

Dib reluctantly began skimming through the essay questions, before glancing up at Zim. Then that glance turned into just another way for him to procrastinate. “What do you mean? What is ‘this’? The blood or…” When they would let him go? Biting down on his bottom lip, he shoved the book away and rested his head on his left hand as he watched the irken.

“That,” Zim began, throwing his arms up to motion the space he occupied. “And all of this. I have important business to attend to. Will you creatures ever be satisfied?” He motioned to the books that Dib had scattered around the floor. “You have knowledge in these books, and yet you are interrogating Zim.” He mumbled.

He bent down to examine one of the texts closely, recognizing the words ‘Social Studies’ in their bold print.

“Aren’t ‘fathers’ supposed to help their offspring with studies?” He asked, looking around to make sure the taller human wasn’t around. Not that Zim was afraid of him, of course.

Dib was twirling his pencil until many of Zim’s words hit home. “Uh. You talk a lot. It’s hard to answer your questions when you throw them out before I can even get to them.” He glanced down at the text book that the irken was looking at and scowled, pushing it away. “For starters…No. Not all fathers do that. Next. These books are old. And pathetic. For some reason they think that using the same outdated knowledge over and over again will help us get smarter. And lastly,”

The boy finally looked up at Zim, unsure. “I don’t know when they’ll let you go…or…” He hesitated, biting down on his bottom lip. Should he really say this? Well, why not? Zim wasn’t doing any harm. He was just an information gatherer. Kind of like Dib.

A sudden flash of that  undefined _thing_ under the sheets, laid across an autopsy table, replaced with green skin and mystery blood on the floor. The scientists laughing about something and Dib watching from afar. He shook his head to clear it.

“Or _if_ they’ll let you go, Zim. I don’t think they have any plans on it.” The human looked anywhere but at him. “I’ve been watching my dad do experiments my whole life. They find subjects, learn everything they can from them and then…open them up to see what else they can learn from the inside.” He felt sick and threw his pencil, not that it would do much. He just couldn’t stand being so nonchalant anymore. “Zim, I don’t think it’ll ever be done.”

Zim’s gut turned violently, his eyes wide as he stared at the human. Why was he so surprised? Why did he expect anything less, in all honesty? He mentally slapped himself for thinking things would be so easy. His mind reeled; he may need to speed up the whole escape process. Zim growled and slid against the glass onto the floor, his brow furrowed as he thought.

“No, that’s not acceptable. I need to get back to Irk.” Zim looked back up at the human, a determined look on his face. But why was the Dib telling him this? Wouldn’t it be better for the human to keep it quiet? What did he have to gain?

Dib scowled heavily down at his textbook, staring at the stupid outdated words and disgusted with how none of it made sense. Things on Earth were like that…all reused and stagnant. He shoved himself to his feet and began to pace, kicking his pencil case out of his way. Twitchy, he scratched the back of his neck before whirling on Zim.

“You won’t be able to escape. They have it all worked out. That cell is locked tight. It would be airtight if it wasn’t for the fact that they pump air into there. And the alarms are everywhere. It’s pressure released. Cameras in every corner. And guards on duty every single hour of the day…” He shook his head. “You’d need outside help. You’d need to time it perfectly and know the place from the inside out…”

A plan. Dib bit down on his bottom lip, hands behind his back as he stared off behind Zim’s shoulder. “It would take us a week to get the schedule of everyone in place, observe when people come and go…and what about transportation?” Now Dib was thinking, running a hand through his messy black hair before he looked up at Zim. “Do you still have your ship around here or did they take that too?”

Zim blinked a couple times before shooting up to his feet. This was unexpected. Welcome, but unexpected.

“Wait—you’re going to help me?” His eyes narrowed a bit as he looked the human over, trying to spot a flaw in his expression that might give him away. The human did seem a bit uncertain, but something behind those lenses flickered sincerity.

Zim grinned inwardly. This was going to be easier than he thought. He cleared his throat. “I left it hidden outside, it’s doubtful that they found it.” He followed the human behind the glass as he paced, watching him as thoughts formed in that big noggin’ of his. “You’ll really help me?” He asked, his voice full of hope, antennae sticking up expectantly.

Dib paced a few more time, his mind racing. He turned around to answer the irken’s question, _of course I will._ Only to stop in his tracks because there was those antenna sticking up again but, more than that it was Zim’s expression that stopped him. The boy nodded slightly. “Yes. But… Zim, you have to…promise me something first.”

Zim groaned and his shoulders slumped again, his antennae folding back down. What more could this creature want from Zim?   
“Yes, yes.” He agreed, dismissively, waving a hand in the air. “I’ll answer all the questions your feeble human mind starves for.” He promised with an annoyed tone in his voice.

“No." Dib shook his head.  "What I want is…” He faltered, realizing he was rubbing his neck again and stood up straighter, hand flopping to his side. “I know you said that you’re only here for information gathering. But, I need you to promise me that no harm will ever come to Earth or its people…” A calm demeanor over took him, determination flooding him. If there was one thing that Dib was truly sure about at this moment, it was this.

Zim cringed a bit at the Earthling’s sudden air of confidence. Those eyes had strength behind them, and it was evident that it burned deep within the human. And even though he was sure that the Dib-creature was harmless, he had to admit that he might still need to be careful with this one. Dib became more and more interesting to the Irken, as well as more useful. He might just exceed all his expectations.

Zim blinked a few times and tried to force as much sincerity into them as possible as he looked the human straight on. “Dib-thing, you have my word your planet is and will stay safe.”

The human relaxed, believing Zim without too much trouble. He never wanted to consider the alien was lying. “Good. Thank you…”

Dib dug into his backpack and pulled out a notepad to begin taking down everything they’d need. “To begin with…we have to keep them preoccupied. I know you already answered a lot of questions, but if they ask you more…draw them out. If they still want to learn from you, they won’t need to cut you open.”

Dib tapped his pen against his bottom lip before scribbling down the things he’d need to do. This wasn’t going to be easy but, it felt…right. Like he was finally doing something good. He was helping an innocent life form to escape from certain death. He smiled and kept writing.


	3. Change of Plans;Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They just…needed time. He had the schedule of the guards down pat but, it would take a bit of time to figure out what needed to be done to avoid setting off the alarms. He continued the lip biting, a idea wiggling its way slowly through his mind. 
> 
> It was stupid. But, stupid enough to work.

Three days went by before Dib saw Zim again.

He’d been investigating; he watched people, when and where employees went, taking down the security guard’s schedules. A few days and the boy knew when everyone came and went. He’d also discovered that the switch off between the night and day shifts was a longer one. In fact, for about ten minutes the building was unguarded and vulnerable. He smirked and closed his notebook, hopping down from the tree he was sitting in outside the building and making his way inside. No one bothered him because they all knew who he was; Membrane’s son, the future of the Empire.

Dib tried not to make as face as they all nodded at him, as if he was someone to respect. Guh. He made his way down the winding hallways until he reached the room they kept Zim in. There were at least ten other scientists in there, doing the same thing they did every day; asking questions, writing things and mumbling.

It wasn’t hard for Zim to prattle on about whatever the humans asked him. He could find a way to talk about even the smallest things for hours, and how to make even the most useless of details sound awe inspiring. But Zim was beginning to grow weary. He had covered everything from his leaders to service drones, and even the Control Brains. He decided to leave out a few important details, for good reason; they were going to be at war with this planet soon, and even if Earth was pathetic, it was never wise to let your enemies in on all your secrets. Although, to be fair, it wasn’t really going to be much of a war at all.

Zim blinked wearily, the bleak white of the lab and the scientist’s matching coats were starting to become too much of a strain for his poor eyes. And suddenly, a bit of color came into the world as Dib walked in; those smoldering eyes setting everything ablaze. A sight for sore eyes, surely. Even if the boy was a bit of a strange one, and a bit annoying, he was still a breath of fresh air compared to the other humans. His antennae perked up and he followed Dib's strides. He gave the human a knowing look, wondering—hoping that they were going to be out of here soon.

Dib shoved the notebook in his bag, taking a second to adjust to the bright room before glancing over at Zim. Their eyes met; they always seemed to shock him with their extreme color. Oh what he wouldn’t give to get a close look at them…  
He nodded, hoping the point came across. They had a time. Dib walked over next to his father who was marking down notes in his short hand. “Um, dad..?”

“Oh. Hello, son! How are you this fine afternoon?” Membrane asked, cheerfully, not even looking up from his notes.

“Uh. Fine. I’m fine. Look, dad, I was uh, wondering how things are coming with the alien…?” The scientist finally glanced up at the boy and flicked off the microphone and by extension the recorders. Membrane stepped away from the control panel and patted his son on the shoulder.

“Just great. It’s been very co-operative. We should be able to perform the final examination tomorrow.” He said cheerfully. Dib froze, unsure if he’d heard right.  
“T-Tomorrow? But...there’s still so much to learn.” This couldn’t be right. No. No. No. His dad sighed and ruffled Dib’s hair.

“I know, Dib. You’re disappointed. I am too. The big guys want it done. But, I’ll tell you what. During the autopsy, you can help! Your first one ever.” Dib could only imagine the wide grin that hid behind his high collar. His father was just trying to help but, the very idea made Dib nauseous. 

“I-I..uh, Dad…I-“

“Sorry, son. I have to go. They need me in the chemical wing. Stay here and be good, will you?” With that he whooshed away, leaving Dib standing in the center. Then the panic began to set in. Oh no. This threw a big kink into their plans…

He took a deep breath. Calm. Be calm. There has to be something you can do. Stall them or come up with a distraction…Anything to buy them more time. Shakily, he glanced over at Zim and frowned at the giant clear cube, his mind racing. Why did they have him in there anyway? It was air tight. And any time he’d seen anyone handle a sample from Zim it was with a fully body hazmat suit.

Were they afraid that Zim had some sort of space disease? Dib knew this was most likely ridiculous. Zim had been living on earth for…quite some time. And no one had died from anything mysterious. Dib bit his bottom lip which was quickly becoming a habit.

They just…needed time. He had the schedule of the guards down pat but, it would take a bit of time to take down certain alarms. An idea wiggled its way slowly through his mind. It was stupid. But, stupid enough to work.

* * *

 

 It was clear that Dib was uneasy about something, and Zim could take a guess as to what that was. Was their plan falling apart? What had the Membrane-thing said to him? He’d give anything just to be able to hear them. He craned his neck and tilted his head, trying to get a better look at their faces. Until, finally, the professor was off and Dib was left standing alone. What was going on? Zim hated being kept in the dark like this. He growled in frustration and waved his hands, trying to let the human know that he wanted to be let in on what was happening.

Zim still wasn’t entirely sure what the human had planned in way of escape, but he had no choice but to trust him, which agitated the Irken even further.

The other scientists seemed to become disinterested once the professor left, turning to their own notes and business. That is, if they hadn’t blatantly left the area altogether. He tapped on the glass, though he was sure it was too thick for the sound to reach Dib, in an attempt to get the human’s attention.

Dib looked up, because out of the corner of his eye he was the frantically flailing irken. He wondered if Zim knew what had just happened or if it was all just a guess. He glanced at the other scientists who were slowly leaving the area, talking to one another. He waited until the last one let the door close behind him before, sliding over to the Control Panel and flipping on the microphones before getting to work. The boy grabbed a scalpel that sat on the one of the counters and used it pry open the control panel's plastic covering.

Over his working, he yelled to Zim. “They want to do the autopsy tomorrow.”

Zim groaned. “What! But I stalled as much as possible!” He watched Dib with a growing panic. “Well, do you have a plan?” He asked, expectantly. Though what he was really asking was what the plan was, seeing as how it was obvious the human had one. At this point Zim didn’t care what it was as long as it got him out of this wretched box. He fidgeted around as he watched the human, looking around the room to make sure nobody was coming.

Dib grumbled and cut a few wires, attached some other ones and yanked out a box that fit into his hand. “Yes. I do. A um, a kind of stupid one. It’s just..if we let you out now, all the alarms go off and if your ship is a far as you say we’ll need all the time we can get. The day shift of security guards come nearly ten minutes after the night crew leaves. But, I still need time to shut off the alarms which are freaking everywhere so…” He held up the box weakly. “This will let me get out of the box without disturbing those alarms at least. And when everyone one goes home at night I can study the outer and inner alarms…I think I found some good blue prints on the database…”

Shoving the little box into his pocket, Dib walked back over to the control panel.

“Wait,” Zim followed the human as he walked, keeping his hands pressed against the glass as he did so. “You’re coming in here?” The Irken was mildly surprised; all the other scientists were obviously afraid of spreading disease from the alien and vise versa, this much they had made apparent. But Dib was willing to throw caution to the wind to buy them some time.

Then again, he shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was; Dib did seem to be lacking some sense of the common variety. Though, it was that daring attitude that was getting Zim out of the box and away from an autopsy table, so he figured he shouldn’t gripe about it too much.

“Is that a good idea?” He asked, skeptically. He hadn’t been in much contact with humans one-on-one, and all this careful containment had only deepened his fears about the germs they carried.

Dib scowled. “ Unless you have some sort of crazy alien disease, I think we’re okay. But if you’d rather get sliced open... Which I’d really hope you don't because my dad wants me to help him.” Shuddering, he took a deep breath, finger over the open trigger on his make shift key to the box. Once he did this it would set off all the alarms. He’d have a minute or so to get inside before they all came running in.

Zim’s eyes narrowed at the thought. “I'm not disease ridden; it is _your_ germs I’m worried about.” He huffed, but figured they didn’t have much choice, which was becoming increasingly common for Zim, frustratingly enough. He was tired of being backed into a corner. He was going to enjoy destroying this planet and all its inhabitants. “Alright, well just hurry. Who knows when someone might show up!” The Irken pressed, becoming increasingly fidgety.

This was the chance for second thoughts. Dib ran a thumb over the tiny black box. You can let the irken get dissected and walk away scott free. Except for the death on your conscious. Which it would be and that was out of the question. He pressed the switch and the cube slid open. The alarms went off instantly, ear piercingly loud.

Dib winced and jumped up into the cube, quickly flicking the switch again to make the door close before shoving it back into his coat. Two seconds later they all came running in; several guards had guns and wore hazmat suits. Membrane ran in next, wearing his own and immediately stopped in his tracks when he saw Dib. They could hear it all because he’d left the microphones on. Dib silently cursed under his breath. Smart. Membrane’s voice was muffled as he shouted over the alarms.

“Son! What are you doing in there? This is dangerous! And now you’re contaminated.”

He held his breath and swallowed, realizing he hadn’t thought of what to tell his dad. Why _was_ he in here? Best to tell the truth, Dib supposed. “I-I don’t want you to kill him, dad.”

Membrane was silent for only half a second, as if trying to figure out if his son was serious and who was ‘him’. “Cease this foolish insanity now, Son. It’s part of a necessary process.” Dib winced. 'Insanity'. 'Foolish'. Now, didn't that sound familiar. 

“Well, you still have to get me out. I’m contaminated. You _could_ come in with your hazmats but, then what about me? You have to find a way to completely clean me.” He nodded, determined. “Until then, let’s hope I don’t die.”

A small scientist whispered something to Membrane who nodded. “Fine, Son. We’ll stall the final experiment. This is a very foolish thing you’ve done. I am ashamed of you.” With that they flicked off the microphones and left them in silence. It was eerie actually. You could see everything that happened but could only hear your own breathing and thoughts.

Dib was panting though he had no idea why. Only now the thought finally hit him that he was locked in a box with an alien…He dared not look, though he wanted to. Instead the human focused on breathing, getting the anxiety under control. A clear head was necessary.

And although Zim had known it was going to happen, still hearing the words out of Membrane’s mouth made Zim’s gut turn. They really had planned on spilling his guts out on a table. He tensed up a bit during their exchange, feeling out of place (on an alien planet, go figure) and rather awkward.

And suddenly it was silent. A silence that Zim had grown accustomed to in his stay in Membrane’s lab. Only now Zim’s breathing was accompanied by another’s.

 


	4. Change of Plans; Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If there was something that he loved more than mysteries it was discovering those mysteries and Zim was a fantastic puzzle to solve.

The silence suddenly grew heavy on Zim’s shoulders. He cleared his throat in an attempt to break it.

“Eh…now what?” He asked, his antennae folding down as the tension seemed to die down.

Dib released his bottom lip, unaware that he’d even been biting it and annoyed about that. Turning to Zim, he immediately wanted to take a step back. Or maybe even a step closer. He could see everything now. They were only a foot or so away. There were so many pigments in his skin. It wasn’t just green. It was ivy and jade…there were small lines there, where none had been before. Frown lines and thinking lines.

Those eyes though, Dib could _finally_ see them up close; gigantic. They glistened wetly and though they had no pupil they had a thousand emotions and stories. Intelligence and a bit of something else. They sucked him in and put him on edge. They were dangerous eyes.

Zim was real.

“Wow.” Dib realized he was staring. He blinked and looked away. “I mean, we…we wait. They’ll spend a while trying to plan. Then when they leave I can get out of this box…maybe you can too. Maybe you can be of assistance with the alarms.”

Zim scoffed. “I’m sure I’ve dealt with more complicated security systems.” Zim reassured, waving a hand dismissively. “So of course I’ll be getting out of this box. You’d better not go back on Zim, now!” He pointed an accusing finger at Dib. “Now that you’ve pulled this little stunt, you’re in this ‘till the end.” He reminded him. Dib had made it very clear which side he was on in doing this. Betraying his father-figure for Zim, after all.

There was a thought. Dib had willingly betrayed the other humans. Zim brought his hand to his chin as he thought about it. How far was the creature willing to go for Zim’s sake? Well, he were going to find out, that was for sure.

Dib had proven to be useful thus far, and Zim had to admit that he had underestimated his abilities at first. Maybe there was hope for him, yet. 

Dib rolled his eyes. “I’m on the side of my own humanity. I won’t let you die for some scientists and their ignorance.” It was uncomfortable standing up so, he slunk against the side of the box, sliding down until he sat with his feet out.

“So we wait, then? And do what? Swap war stories?” Zim asked, impatiently.

“I don’t know. I’m not your entertainer. And I hope you’re being sarcastic. I don’t have any war stories. But, if you have any, you could tell me.” He shrugged, trying not to sound too excited about the prospect.

Zim’s shoulders slump as he made his way over to the bed and plopped himself down on the hard mattress. Did he have any stories left in him to tell? Was Zim finally talked out?

“I'm tired of talking.” Something he thought he’d never hear himself say. And besides, Zim had found himself mildly interested in the creature that now shared a cell with him.

“I think it’s my turn to ask questions.” Zim pressed his fingertips together as he thought. “Like those lenses; they are for poor eyesight, correct?” He addressed Dib’s glasses with heightened curiosity. 

Dib shrugged, figuring that was fair. Zim had been pretty much put under a barrage of questions since day one. He touched the arm of his glasses, slightly self consciously. “Yeah. My eyes kind of suck from years of staring at a computer screen and reading in the dark…” Hesitating for a second, but only a second, the boy finally lifted them off his face and held them up for the irken to see, who was now just a green and magenta smear.

“My vision is blurry now because I don’t have them on, but if you want you can look at them.” A peace offering, of sorts.

“Interesting,” Zim breathed as he pushed himself off the bed. He took a few hesitant steps towards the human before reaching out and plucking the lenses with delicate fingers from Dib’s hands. He turned them over and studied them, watching as the world through the lenses writhed and warped as he moved them about.

“I fail to see how something so simple can enhance your vision.” He thought out loud. Gingerly, he slipped the arms over his face, holding them against the sides of his head to keep them in place. They fit awkwardly, the bridge of the glasses setting uncomfortably against the Irken’s smooth skin where he lacked a nose.

Zim was instantly thrown into a distorted version of reality.

“Whoa!” He turned his head every which way, watching the world turn in its perverted new existence. Everything blurred together and perspective seemed to be a thing unknown to this world.

Zim’s eyes filled up the lenses as he looked around with wide eyes. “This is what you see all the time?” He asked, baffled by the thought. How could somebody go through their life with the world looking like this?

The Irken’s head began to swim, and he had to force himself to peel the lenses away. He groaned slightly at the shift of reality and shook his head.

It was hard to really tell what was happening considering he was now half blind but, from Zim’s exclamation Dib could safely assume the irken had tried on his glasses. He covered his mouth up with his hand to stifle a laugh before shaking his head. “No. They’re made especially for my eyes. I see out of them just fine where others might have a much harder time. It might be blurry or way too clear and give them a head ache.”

Speaking of which…Dib held out his hand for the lenses, not wanting to go without them too long, lest he start to get one. “Do Irkens not get bad eye sight?”

“Not generally.” Zim answered, handing the accessory back to the human. Feeling dizzy, the Irken decided not to chance a trip back to the bed lest he fall on his face, so settled for sitting on the floor in front of the human, his legs crossed.

“The Irken race is all about perfection,” He explained. “Breeding out the defective genetics, and what have you. And where there is a chance of defection, we usually reinstate or discard completely.” He held up a claw and pointed to one of his large magenta orbs. “For example, ocular implants are standard issue. In fact…”

With a careful, slow movement, Zim pressed the tip of his gloved finger to the bottom of his eye. He trailed the round edge until finding a small groove, and pushed. His fingertip slid under easily, the magenta orb shifting in its socket under the new pressure.

He pushed farther until he was able to hook his fingertip around the edge of the orb, and pulled. The eye came free from its socket with a small ‘pop’, and fell into the invader’s hand. A winding, green cord attached to the backside of Zim’s eye dangled across his cheek and trailed to the inside of the now gaping hole where his eye once was.

Zim smiled and held up the magenta jewel to look at.

Dib fitted his glasses to his face just in time to watch the show. At first confusion and then horror racked his body. All the blood drained from his face. Zim’s eye…was in his hand. Two possible reactions tugged at him; scream at the alien and make him put it back where eyes belong or ooh and ahh because it was kind of cool in a freaky, disgusting way.

“Uh…”Dib unconsciously scooted away a bit further. “Y-You took out your eye. That’s…really cool and also extremely gross, Zim. Can you put it back please?” Whenever the teenager got stressed his voice got higher. At that current moment it was reminiscent of his childhood.

Zim could only laugh at the human’s reaction. It was something so normal to Zim that his scared expression seemed so ridiculous, so unnecessary. He obliged, however, and popped his eye back into his socket with less ease than he had taken it out. Once it was in, he blinked a few times and looked back at the Dib-creature. “So, in short, the answer is no. Irkens do not develop poor eyesight.”

“Guh. Yeah. Um. That’s freaky.” Dib shook his head and sat up straighter now, taking a deep breath now that the eye was safely back in its proper place. Now that it was over though, he could laugh a bit at his own reaction and how cool it was to be talking to an alien who could apparently pop his eye in and out of it’s socket. Then he looked back up at Zim and smirked.

“So was that the end of your questions? Just about my glasses?”

“Well, no.” Zim admitted while pressing his fingertips together again. “Upon landing on this planet there has been one thing that has stood out among you humans, especially compared with other alien species I’ve encountered. It seems to be unique to your race.”  
And it was true. Not only that, but it just seemed so odd to the Irken.

He pointed to Dib’s head, rather shamelessly. “That 'hair'. What purpose does it serve? It seems useless and bothersome.”

Zim’s finger was like a few centimeters away from his face and Dib fought the urge to back up a bit more, cross-eyed to try and see the end of the glove. “Hair. Hair’s only real purpose is to keep our heads warm. 80% of body heat escapes from the top of our heads…so, hair hold some of it in. I guess.” At least that’s what he thought it was there for.

The human reached up and poked back at Zim’s finger, trying to get it out of his face. “You’re gonna smudge my glasses.”

“Eh? Is that all it does? How cumbersome!” Zim adjusted himself to his knees, leaning forward with an outstretched hand. How could they do anything at all with all that fluff on their heads? Wasn’t it distracting? Zim could barely stand to wear his wig; he couldn’t imagine having something like that weighing his senses down all the time.

But the texture was an interesting one; not like animal fur or anything he had seen before. “Let me touch it!”

Dib’s eye widened and he suddenly realized just how trapped in the corner he really was. Gold eyes flew behind Zim looking for a exit before landing on the irken’s outstretched hand.

“Y-You want to touch my hair? Why?” God. Ignoring how high his voice sounded just then, he flailed around a bit before grabbing Zim’s wrist. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Just, yanno, an alien wanting to mess around with his hair. Totally normal.

Zim clicked his tongue in annoyance at the human’s failure to cooperate. His hand writhed a bit in Dib’s grasp. “You creatures have taken numerous samples from Zim; the least you could do is let me touch your greasy head.” Though when he said it like that, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to touch it anymore. “Why, is it sensitive?” He asked, intrigued once more.

That made the human scowl, slightly offended and a bit defensive now as well. “My head’s not greasy, for your information.” With a annoyed sigh, he let Zim’s wrist go at the mention of the samples. Freaking alien.

“Fine.” He dipped his head out for prodding and poking. “My head isn’t sensitive. It’s…just my head. And you’re very excited about this. About touching me. Which just so you know, is weird.” Flattering. But, weird.

Zim grumbled and straightened his back. “I'm not weird.” He muttered as he trailed a gloved claw along the human’s head. The hair rustled softly under the Irken’s touch, which sparked further curiosity. Quickly, Zim peeled off his glove to reveal slender green fingers before they buried themselves in the human’s hair.

It was soft. Much softer than Zim was expecting. Then again, he didn’t really know what to expect in the first place. It was much different than the fibers of his wig. They brushed against his skin in a not so unpleasant way. He pushed the delicate fibers back and watched them fall back into place, then pushed them forward and watched them spring back up.

“Hm.” His face scrunched up thoughtfully. “Interesting.”

A shudder worked its way down Dib’s spine. It was weird to have his hair played around with. Not altogether unpleasant however. In fact it was kind of relaxing. But, there was no way he’d ever be doing this if it wasn’t for Zim’s curiosity. And the fact that Dib still felt kinda bad about the whole samples thing.

With another shudder, he shook his head to put the hair back into place, lifting his chin again. “Are you done ye-oh.” They were very close. Zim had scooted even closer in his observations. Dib could see every single fleck and swirl that existed in those eyes and he wasn’t going to lie to himself; they were the most fascinating thing he’d seen since…since discovering that there was such a thing as stars.

It was as if everything was hung in suspension, something crying out to be examined and recognized.

Zim leaned back a bit at the human’s sudden movements, jerking his hand back and letting it hover awkwardly.  A flash of tawny and Zim found himself frozen for a moment. Those scrutinizing eyes seemed to bore into Zim in a way no other human, or creature, had managed before. Zim hated it.

Zim growled lowly, though he wasn’t sure why, and fell back on the floor. He shoved his hand back into his glove, looking down at his claws as he did so.

“I have no other questions.” Or at least none that he could remember at the moment.

But, then the moment, whatever it was, was gone, swept away in a primitive growl that sounded none too pleased and had Dib flinching slightly in fear. He _was_ after all stuck in here with an alien. Zim had yet to seem violent but who knew what could happen.

“U-um. Okay.” Dib felt shaken, dizzy almost. He glanced out at the crowd of scientists and the dazed look morphed into a heavy frown. Membrane stood in the middle of them all, talking and coming up with a new ingenious plan, Dib was sure. His father had said he was ashamed of him. That…was disappointing. And yet, it didn’t hurt as bad as he’d expected it would. Maybe because of past experiences. 

Zim looked up, reluctantly, and was relieved to find that those amber daggers weren’t directed at him. He followed his gaze, and sighed a bit.

“Ah yes, the Father-creature.” Zim thought out loud before turning back to his cell-mate. “Quite the gall to defy him, like you have.” He admitted. With the Membrane’s tall, broad stature and obvious renown, it was impressive to see someone as seemingly weedy such as Dib stand up to him. Just another way the human continued to surprise Zim.

Dib’s eyes flickered from where his father stood back to the alien who loomed over him. Running a hand down the back of his neck, he sighed before looking at the floor with a heavy frown. “Not gall. Just…doing the right thing. For once.”

But, Zim apparently thought he was brave or something for having stood up to his dad. Did it have something to do with the height thing? Something about the ‘Tallest’? Someone who was taller was automatically superior? Huh. “Why do I have ‘gall’ for defying dad?” Dib asked curiously, eyes down to his hands in his lap.

Zim was puzzled by Dib’s question. Wasn’t it obvious? He shifted a bit in his spot of the floor, feeling as though maybe he had missed something. Maybe there was some sort of unseen truce between Father and Spawn that Zim had completely overlooked?

“Well, the Membrane-creature is obviously powerful.” He looked back over at the tall human, in the center of scientists that swarms around him like insects surrounding their queen. They all moved around each other as they scurried frantically, but never leaving the small perimeter that developed around the professor.

“His face is on everything of worth on this pitiful planet, not to mention his numerous recourses and servants. If there is a creature on this planet worth fearing, it is most likely him.” He shrugged and looked back at the smaller human. “Of course, he still isn’t a match for Zim, so I have nothing to worry about. You, however…” He let out a small hum, leaving the explanation up in the air to be contemplated.

And contemplated it was. For about two seconds with a slightly raised brow. “He’s also blind to anything outside of his comfort zone, ridiculously naïve about certain subjects, he’s afraid to ask questions that might provoke danger even if it means sacrificing lives and it’s hard to be intimidated by someone who you’ve seen clip his toenails and leave them for you to pick up later.”

Unbeknownst, a dark gloom had settled over Dib, gaze and demeanor darkening before with a sigh, like air being let out of a balloon, it was gone. He loved his Dad, honestly. Dib and his little sister had never wanted for anything, ever. And there was always food, shelter and his father had always pushed them both to be the best they could be.

However, there just might’ve been a bit of resentment buried (or covered with a few inches of denial). “Look, Dad’s powerful alright. He’s the leader of a whole Empire that stretches all over the world. But, he’s my dad. I don’t know what that means on your planet, if anything, but he’s kind of supposed to take care of me until I’m grown. I have no reason to be afraid. Unlike you, who has been locked up in a box for a week and would probably be dead if it wasn’t for me.”

Zim’s back straightened and his antennae perked up, a deep frown embedding itself on his face. “Don’t flatter yourself! I could have gotten out on my own; I was just waiting for the opportune moment!” Zim defended. He reluctantly relaxed, however—not wanting to mess up the chance for escape that he had. And with the darkening mood that seemed to shroud the human, Zim didn’t want to press his luck.

He grumbled and looked back at the professor. It was interesting to think that the Dib-thing had seemed to grow a sort of resistance to his intimidation, which had already proven useful by this point. He wondered how that might come in handy later. He pondered it for a bit before realizing something. His antennae stood on end as he whipped his head back to his cell mate. “’Fully grown’? You are just a smeet?” He asked, genuinely surprised. 

Dib was surprised at Zim’s surprise, stiffening at the sudden movement. Jeeze, the irken changed subjects quickly didn’t he? Forcing himself to relax, he glanced at his fellow inmate out of the corner of his eye.

“Well…I’m almost grown. I’ve got a few years left until my ‘growing period’ stops. But, as it is…I turn 18 this year. Which means for all intensive purposes that I’m an ‘adult’ and can do what adults do like voting, getting married, joining the army and all that jazz.”

Curious, Dib managed to get over his mood and turn towards the alien again with eyes widened. “Are _you_ fully grown?” It would make sense. He didn’t think the Irkens would want to send ‘smeets’ (that’s what they were called, or at least that’s what Zim had told them) to do their information gathering. But, Zim was pretty small…young looking really. With a very delicate facial structure and skinny, long limbs.

“Yes, of course! Just because I am not a behemoth like you humans tend to be….” He grumbled. He laced his hands in his lap and lowered his gaze. The humans had an interesting trait of height, and yet they took it for granted. It was frustrating to Zim to see all this promise go unfulfilled. Especially with the Dib-thing; who was already taller than him, but wasn’t even fully grown as it seemed. He still had a few years of growing ahead of him. Zim glared at his intertwined fingers.

“I'm not as tall, but you can bet that I can take you down anytime.” He mumbled, his antennae folding down in defense. “I'm not even afraid of the Membrane-beast.” He felt like his pride had been prodded, somehow and that he needed to redeem himself. Granted, the time spent in this wretched box hadn’t been Zim’s best…

Dib wasn’t exactly an expert at human nature, in fact he had no idea what to say to make someone feel better or even how to start a normal conversation but, sitting in a see through cell with an alien, he somehow _knew_ that Zim’s pride was hurt for some reason. He huffed, leaning his face on his hand.

“Take me down, eh? Well, I have no doubt. You’re a soldier right? And I’m just a teenager who has had no real experience in combat.” Was that the right thing to say? God, he hoped so. “You have no reason to be afraid of dad. I’m go—we’re going to get you out of here.”

A quick glance at the clock that hung on the wall showed it was nearly closing time. People would leave. Some would probably stay to work late. “Nothing bad is going to happen to you, Zim.”

It was strange how sure the human seemed, considering how jumpy he had always appeared to be. And yet…his words did manage to ease the invader a bit more than he’d like to admit.

“Yeah, well…” He sighed a bit and met the gaze of those burning amber eyes. “I don’t doubt that.” He shifted a bit in his spot, unfolding and folding his legs underneath him. Antennae folding back, he broke the eye contact to look around the cell, pretending to be interested in something else. He inwardly begged for time to move faster so he could be free of this awkward situation he had created for himself.

Dib’s attention caught up with his curiosity, as his eyes flickered from the clock and then back at Zim. The Irken’s little, black antenna fell against his head and suddenly Dib was on his knees, hand reaching and fingers itching to touch. This was an alien with new anatomy, things to learn from. If there was something that he loved more than mysteries it was discovering those mysteries and Zim was a fantastic puzzle to solve. Were the antenna sensitive? Was this a smart thing to do?, Dib thought just before the tips of his fingers brushed over the length of a black stalk. It was just a second, and in that second he could feel that it was room temperature, solid and had the barest of fuzz that tickled his skin.

Zim leaned back as the human neared him, his fingers outstretched towards the top of his head. He was only able to bark a quick protest before those slender fingers found their way against the sensitive stalk. A shock was sent down Zim’s spine that caused him to freeze. A shiver rippled through him and broke his momentarily daze, causing his shoulders to slump forward.

The human’s fingers were surprisingly soft and not-so-unpleasantly warm as they brushed the soft feeler. Zim held his breath as he tried his best suppress the noise that tried to escape. Finally, Zim let the air out in a puff and a deep purr rolled out from within his chest.

“Th-that’s quite enough!” He barked, jerking his head away.

Dib jerked his hand away and blinked, feeling as though he’s just come out of a daze. “I um, sorry. Curiosity killed the cat I guess.” He fell back on his butt, pushing himself away from the Irken, a blush beginning to form on his cheeks. Not really from his own actions but from the re-action they had drawn from Zim. Was that a purr? Like a cat? So, the antennas were sensitive. And that had only been a short, second long brush.

“They bounce around a lot. Are they like…eyebrows?” Humans used their eyebrows to convey emotions.

Zim ran a hand over his antenna to try and smooth away the feeling of those alien fingers, but to no avail. “What cat?” He mumbled, a tad nervously. “And no, they do not function like your ‘eye-brows’. They are much more complex than what your mind can wrap around, I’m sure.” The Invader chanced a glance in the human’s direction, and immediately looked away.

What was his face doing? It appeared to be flushed, which only frustrated the Irken that much more. He looked around feverishly for something to preoccupy him, and was relieved when he noticed the first of Membrane’s peons begin to head for the door.

“I think they’re leaving. Finally!”

Dib opened his mouth to explain the cat only to follow Zim’s eyes to watch as the scientists began to leak out the door, after what felt like forever even Membrane left with a final glance back at the cage and what looked like a sigh as the door swished shut behind him.

The blush had no choice but to fade, as Dib pulled the ‘key’ out of his pocket and typed in the code. A few seconds passed before the clear wall dropped into the ground. Relief flooded him. He could hear again.


	5. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Considering your position here on Earth as offspring to the most powerful influence on your planet, and my obvious importance as an Invader, it could be possible…” He mumbled to himself a bit, his magenta eyes scanning the room unseeingly. “Treaties based on union have been known to occur. And I think it’s your best bet, honestly.”

Dib stood to his full height and jumped out of the cube, taking a few steps before turning back to look at Zim. “Ready to come out of your prison?”

The sound that flooded the air around Zim was nearly deafening and he loved it. The machines whirring in the distance was music to the small Irken. Every footstep the human made echoed in the most beautiful way.

Zim stopped at the very edge, looking apprehensive. What if this was a trap? After a moment, he decided that he didn’t care; he’d rather be in any other situation than in that damned box.

With a triumphant gleam, Zim hopped out. His boots hit the tile and Zim let out a victorious cackle.“Keep Zim locked up!? I THINK NOT!”

Dib winced and then smirked, walking towards the control panel. “Damn, Zim. You’re kind of loud.” Had he just not noticed it in the cube or was this just a onetime thing, a cry of freedom?

“Okay. So, there are a few alarms to disable in here. Several down the hallway and at least ten in the stair wells….And quite a bit on the roof. But, luckily the further up we go, there are less things to deal with." He 'hacked' into the security mainframe. It was shamefully easy.

Zim peeked around him to see what he was working on. “If you can get us to the roof, I can take it from there.” Using his PAK legs to scale the wall would be effortless. But then again…the human looked sort of heavy.

He shook his head in surprise. Why was he worried about carrying the human? Wasn’t he just going to leave him here? That was the plan, anyway. Zim had no need for the Dib-creature after getting out of here, that much was certain.

And yet, Zim couldn’t help but mull over the possible uses the human could offer in the future. So far, Dib was loyal and intelligent. Very observant and determined.

Finally, he settled on crossing that bridge when he got to it, and focusing on the matter at hand. “So what kinds of tripping mechanisms are we looking at here? Cameras, pressure plates, lasers?” He had made the mistake of underestimating the labs the first time he was captured, he wasn’t about to do that again. 

Dib glanced sideways at Zim with a half smile. “Everything. On the door here we have cameras outside and all down the hallway there’s pressure plates with sensory lasers. Followed by all of the above and dart traps, canyons, drop cages and watch dogs.” Dib snorted and began shutting down this room’s cameras. “None of which actually are what they sound like.”

“That doesn’t sound…too bad.” Zim said with a bit of sarcasm. “Depending on how heavy your big head is, I can maybe get us over the majority of all that.” He thought out loud, not taking his eyes off of the human’s hands. It was interesting to watch those fingers work; Zim thought having five digits would cause for some poor coordination, but it seemed the Dib-creature was perfectly capable of obtaining some grace with them. “I have gotten out of worse situations, before.”

“Really?” Dib raised an eyebrow, typing in the passcode that turned off the outwards cameras. “Like what? Oh and are you going to help me? Or does the Almighty Zim want me to do all the work?” And…wait? What? Big head? Heavy….us. Huh. What was Zim planning? Dib had figured that once he’d gotten Zim out of the building that would be it. 

“Almighty Zim is right,” Zim scoffed as he reached up and mimicked Dib’s actions across the control panel. The technology was rather primitive, but he still didn’t want to chance messing things up. “And you wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve had to get myself out of hostile situations, this is nothing, really.” He boasted, a smirk forming across his face. “But I am tenacious, see? Nothing can keep this Invader down, not even primitive security systems. I was bested once but oh-ho not again...” His fingers froze in their place. Well…maybe the human didn’t catch it. He chanced a quick glance at Dib.

“Heh. I see wha—“ _Invader_. Dib’s own fingers froze over the screen, as his brain computed. He looked over at Zim whose face was coated with an expression of…fear? A cold feeling dropped into his stomach and his heart stopped. He stared at those magenta eyes. “Invader? What do you mean, Invader?”

Zim quickly looked back down to avoid those dangerous eyes. His gut turned uncomfortably and he forced a nervous laugh. It was dry and humorless.

“Invader? Is that what you heard?” Another dry chuckle. “You speak nonsense.” His voice nearly cracked, but he tried to stay casual and forced his fingers to move over the control panel, slowly. “What would an invader be doing on Earth? Earth is useless, it wouldn’t prove useful in anyway, heh heh.”

Dib’s hand closed around the alien’s wrist to stop him from moving. His throat felt constricted. Zim looked so guilty. “Zim. Invader. Have I been an idiot? Have I been helping the enemy this whole time?” Please say no. Please say no. For Earth’s sake, for Dib’s sanity and for Zim’s own life. Because he really didn’t want Zim dead. There had been no reason for those scientists to cut him open, so he’d been ready to throw his own life down on the line to save another creature’s. But, if Zim was…if he was a killer…Dib would be forced to die for his people. Because there was no way that he was letting Earth be destroyed.

Zim yelped in surprise at the sudden, strict contact. Dib’s hand clasped tightly around the Irken’s small wrist, more out of panic than anything it seemed, and the Irken’s breathing stopped for a moment. He was cornered, once again. And once again, it was his own fault, not that he’d admit to it. What could he do? He still needed the Dib-creature on his side. If it weren’t for Dib, he’d be dead, and he still could be if things didn’t turn in his favor soon.

“I am not the enemy you need to worry about.” He admitted, shakily. “I was sent here merely to scope out the defenses, ready the planet if you will.” He paused and jerked his hand away from the human’s vice grip. Zim had done nothing wrong, but still he felt something in his chest churn and thump spastically. Maybe it was the creature’s height, or those smoldering eyes that bored into Zim’s tiny frame, seeking the truth.

Zim straightened out his back. “The Armada is coming for Earth. And this planet will not stand a chance…”

All the air left him and Dib’s hands fell on top of the control panel. “No. No. This can’t be happening…” And suddenly it was as though the fate of everything was on his shoulders. Hyperventilating the human pushed himself away from his seat, from the alien because he was shaking so badly. “When?” Dib paced over to the far end of the lab, fingers pulling at his hair. “Who? What do you mean the Armada? Thi-this…no. No.”

And suddenly the fear was gone. A second gear flipped. Replaced with white hot anger and that stubborn determination. Dib spun on his heel to stare at Zim, stonily. “You…you’ve been an ‘Invader’ this whole time. Did you not look around and see all the people you would be killing if you did this?”

Dib scoffed and shook his head, disgusted with himself and with Zim. But, mostly Zim. “Oh but, of course you didn’t. We’re just ants aren’t we? Stupid little bugs that have horrible technology and outdated textbooks and who kill each other and—“  
His hands were balled into fists, jaw twitching.

Zim found himself taking a few steps back when those amber orbs found their way back to him. What had he unleashed, here? The seemingly meek Dib-child had somehow turned into a rage filled beast.

Zim had to suppress a smirk. Now he was really sure that there was potential underneath that weak façade. Potential that would be absolutely shameful to let go to waste. But first things first; he had to get Dib back on his side. “Dib-creature, I have direct orders from the Tallest. I couldn’t possibly defy them. To defy the Tallest would mean a trip out of the airlock, definitely.” Although that was only half of it. “But if you get us out of here, there may be a chance to stop it…”

Was there? Dib swallowed his anger though it hovered beneath the surface. He paced back towards the alien, trying to stay as calm as possible and therefore keeping his face blank. Could there be hope? He searched Zim’s expression, and finding nothing there to doubt before he scowled and glanced over at the control panel. “Fine. Tell me while I work. Key word: I.”

Zim let out the breath he had been holding as Dib turned away to continue his work on the control panel.

“Look, back when Irk was just starting the movement to take over, we were offering treaties left and right to build up our allies and, by extension, power.” Zim started, running his hands over his face. “I’m sure that there are still some that are still intact; some sort of loop-hole that can provide protection for Earth…You get us out of here, and we can find something.” He took a few steps closer to the human. “Either way, I’m the only chance you’ve got to protect this ball of dirt.”

Dib grimaced at Zim, fingers flying over the control panel. “Yeah I got that, E.T. Sounds good. Now, shut up and let me work since you’re no help and I only have an hour to get these things down. Unless of course you want to spend another day in that.” A nod towards the cube.

“Listen here, you worm-child!” Zim snapped, his antennae springing forward as he pointed an accusing finger at the human. “We’re stuck in this mess together, and if you think Zim is going to sit idly by so you can be the hero, then you’ve got another thing coming!” He marched over and elbowed his way into his spot next to the human. “I’m not about to let you mess this up because your poor human feelings got hurt. You know as well as I do that this will work better and faster if we both do it, and I don’t want to hear you gripe about it!” He huffed and began his work on the panel, glaring down at his fingers as he did so.

Dib’s jaw clenched. “First of all, moron, my feelings are not hurt. I’m pissed because I just found out that my planet might be destroyed. You try being in the best of spirits if you’d heard that. And secondly, fine. I’m through with the cameras in this room, half way done with the pressure sensors and I’ve only been working for ten minutes. I think I would do just fine, you bug.”

Dib hadn’t known he could be this...horrible. But, he didn’t really feel all that bad. Zim had lied to him from the beginning. Okay. Maybe his feelings were hurt a little bit. These last couple days had been filled with wonder because there had been an alien and there had been new things to learn. And Zim had seemed…a bit crazy but nice. Maybe he was stupid for thinking that anything could’ve come from him helping Zim. Gratitude, yes. And a friend, maybe.

Maybe it was all those stupid, childhood dreams of having an alien friend, of being something of an ambassador between two planets. Stupid. Really, freaking stupid.

Zim grumbled lowly and set to work. He hated this Dib. He was stubborn and stood up to Zim, which only made things worse. Where was that curious Dib-creature that Zim had seen only moments ago? Maybe he would leave his ass to rot in this dump, after all. “It wasn’t like I had a choice.” He mumbled as he put in the passcodes with quick fingers. Although it wasn’t like he needed to explain himself. Zim wasn’t in the wrong here, of course. He wasn’t caging people up to dissect them. And yet the atmosphere seemed to smog around them, urging him to clear the air. “And I was lied to, as well, you know. You told me they’d let me go.”

Dib slammed his fist down on the control panel and growled. “Well, I told you didn’t I? I didn’t think they’d do it. I mean who kills something new and wonderful? I could’ve let you die, but I didn’t. _You_ only let me know this because you fucking slipped up!” A raw stab of pain hit his chest. “You would’ve let me and my entire planet die!” He wanted to punch Zim so badly. Dib could practically picture it. It would be incredibly satisfying. No. He shoved the anger down, pushed it away because in order to save said planet, he had to calm down. “Look, just…stop talking.” He quietly picked at the keys, putting another set of numbers into line, breaking down another barrier.

Zim worked in silence for a while, but couldn’t get one thing out of his mind. Dib had been the only tolerable creature on this planet, even if he was nosy and a bit obnoxious. He was still fairly bright, even by Irken standards. Was Zim really planning on leaving him on Earth to be destroyed? Dib had a lot of promise. He couldn’t ignore this, especially when the human had grown up on such a pitiful planet. Imagine what he would be capable of with proper training!

“I wasn’t going to leave you here.” The irken mumbled, not looking up at Dib. He was willing to leave it be, but then something else popped into Zim’s head that caused him to look up at the human, not being able to suppress a smirk. _'Something new and wonderful'_

“You think I'm wonderful?”

Dib scowled, feeling a whole barrage of emotions; anger, excitement, shock and embarrassment. “Once again,...firstly…” Well what did he even say to that? “You weren’t going to leave me here? What did you plan on doing? Kidnapping me an-and taking me back to your planet?” Gosh that sounded awesome. “And secondly,…yeah.” He sighed and fought the urge to bang his head against the panel. “You’re an alien. You’re filled with knowledge, memories from space and you’re awesome looking and were pretty cool until I found out you were a big jerk.”

Zim gleamed proudly as he finished up his side of the work, entering the last passcode. “I’m not sure. I just didn’t want potential to go to waste.” He admitted, a little too honestly for his liking. “But kidnapping would imply you didn’t want to go.” He shot the human a smug, knowing look. It wasn’t hard to tell that Dib was excited about getting off his planet. He had made that very easy to read in those passionate eyes of his.

“And I am pretty wonderful.” He sang as he rested his hands on the panel, drumming his claws against the metal framing. “Your compliments are very well deserved and I accept them.” He grinned.

Glowering, Dib realized that Zim _had_ gotten his work done. And that just pissed him off more. Only to fizzle out entirely for many reasons that he didn’t feel proud of. The alien thought he had potential? And how did he know Dib would want to go?

In order to shove away these crazy feelings, he glanced sideways at Zim and tried not to smirk at the moron’s smug face. “Did you not hear the jerk part of my compliments? Because you are, Yanno?”

“Are you not done, yet?” Zim blatantly ignored his statement, peering over Dib’s hands. He reached out to move the human’s hands away. “Let me do it, we don’t have time for your fumbling around.”

Dib’s smile fell and he glared at the Irken, keeping his hands firmly on the table. “Well, I’ve been talking to an egotistical moron for one. Oh and just so you know, I _really_ want to punch you.” In fact it was a strong urge that he found nearly impossible to subdue. “We have time and I’m nearly done. Besides after we do this we still have to wait till the night guards leave.”

Zim nearly slumped over the panel, but managed to hold himself up with a groan. He was growing increasingly impatient with his surroundings; the once welcome buzz of machinery now grinding on his already worn nerves. “If you insist.” He grumbled, watching his fingers dance across the panel.

“I do.” Dib replied snobbishly, quickly typing and after only a few set backs finished his half of the work and then nearly jumped away from the panel just to get away from Zim. “Okay. We’re done with that.” He glanced at the clock and shoved his hands into his lab coat pockets. “We have a half an hour until the night shift leaves and then ten minutes to get you the hell out of here.”

“Great!” Zim clapped his hands together, eager to get out of the lab. But it was only a few minutes before he was leaning against the panel, his brow furrowed. "And just what do you suggest we do in the meantime?”

 _I don’t know. Shut up and be quiet?_ Dib sighed and leaned against the cube, staring down at his feet. “Why don’t you tell me more about how I can save my planet?” That was the most important thing and _not_ his hurt feelings or the fact that Zim was incredibly loud.

Zim pressed his fingertips together in thought. There were a few treaties that he was aware of, but none of them were very helpful considering Earth had no precious metals that Irk was in dire need of. He pursed his lips a bit before clicking his tongue and looking back to the human.

“Well, there are very few treaties now that hold up. The only one I can think of is the one we have open with the Planet Jackers. However….”The Irken turned on his heel and paced a bit. It was possible…it was a stretch, but it was possible.Not that it mattered, really. The whole idea was just to get Dib off his back. To regain his trust.

“Considering your position here on Earth as offspring to the most powerful influence on your planet, and my obvious importance as an Invader, it could be possible…” He mumbled to himself a bit, “Treaties based on union have been known to occur. And I think it’s your best bet, honestly.”

Dib’s eyebrows furrowed and confusion had him in its grasp for a few moments as he fought for comprehension. “Wait…what? Union?” He pushed away from the cube he was leaning on, and towards Zim. “What are you talking about?” A sneaking suspicion had lodged itself in his brain but, that couldn’t be right.

Zim snapped his fingers. “What’s the human phrase for it?” He struggled for a moment before clicking his tongue. “Marriage! A treaty based on marriage. And given our current positions within our societies, it wouldn’t be too bold to say that it could work.” He gave the human a proud smirk. There. A perfectly reasonable way to 'save' the Earth. To convince Dib to be on his side again. At least until they parted ways...

Although,taking Dib was still something that Zim was seriously contemplating.  But would the human go if it meant leaving his precious planet behind? Zim's brow furrows once more as he thought about it. It would be a shame to let him perish…..and as he’d already stated, the human had promise. And drive. Passion. Well…the human had a lot of things.

“Y-You mean…me and you? Married?” That was insane for so many reasons that Dib wasn’t even sure if he could even comprehend. His hands escaped from his pockets and buried themselves in his hair again. Could Zim be serious? Dib hardly thought that he would joke around about it and that scared him. But,…what if this could save Earth? “Are you…serious? That would work?” Nervously, he searched Zim’s face for…something, unsure of what he wanted to see only that his chest felt like it was wrapped with steel bands.

“There’s no reason why it wouldn’t.” Zim answered simply. He watched Dib, curiously. He knew he was new to earth customs, but Dib’s reaction confused him a little. Shouldn’t he be happy that there was a chance this miserable little spit-ball of a planet could be spared? “You don’t seem too happy about that.” Zim noted.

Some sort of noise gathered in the back of his throat. “Ugh. I-I don’t know. I mean, it’s not even freaking legal for me to marry, yet. And I’ve known you for like three days. On Earth, marriage is kind of huge…” A deep breathe in through your nose, Dib. Deep breaths. “B-But…if you’re sure this can save my planet...then okay. “ Another deep breath before he stood up straight and lifted his chin. “Let’s get married.”

The thought made Zim snicker a bit or maybe it was the way the human had said it. “Don’t worry about your planet’s laws on union; they don’t apply in a galactic setting, as it were.” He said through his smirk. The alien had to admit, Dib’s dedication to his planet was sort of cute, in an obnoxious kind of way. “I like your enthusiasm, but let’s get out of here first.”

Dib rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling like a child. It was because of Zim’s tone of voice or something. “Well,” He checked the clock. “They should be leaving in a few minutes. Are you ready to get off my planet?”

 _‘More than you even know.’_ Zim’s face straightened out and he met Dib’s gaze. “Are you prepared to come with me?”

Dib blinked. “C-Come with you? Right now?” That was insane, that couldn’t be right. It couldn’t be right. Right? Right. It was one thing to be prepared for something in the future, like getting married to an alien in order to save the world. But…leaving the Earth, his home? A shiver of excitement ran up his spine. The stars and nebulas, seeing it all with an alien. It was like a dream. It could not happen.

“Well, yes, of course. If you want to save your precious little planet, then we need to make preparations.” Preparations that didn't exist because it would never happen. Zim waved a hand through the air. “Did you assume everything was just going to fall into place?” He scoffed and looked at the clock. “Are you ready? The time to make your decision is now.”

Zim half hoped that the human would go yellow belly. Maybe he would chicken out, and Zim wouldn’t have to worry about him. But what about the other half? Zim was planning on destroying Earth, one way or the other. But he had already decided that letting Dib perish would be too much of a waste of good resources and..well….Zim admired his drive. If he could apply it to something useful, then there was no telling what the two of them could accomplish.  PLus, plenty of other Invaders had little slaves and pets. Why not him? 

Zim would take Dib back to the Armada, and from there would be unable to interfere with the destruction of mankind.

Presumably.

“Coming with Zim would mean no turning back, Dib-creature.”

Dib’s breath caught in his throat, another glance at the clock that proved they only had a few minutes till the guards left. For some reason it felt like that clock was counting down his time to make his choice. Dib pulled really hard at his hair before dropping his hands to his sides.

No turning back. It was like something from a story, a story about someone else who had to make these decisions. Would this mean never seeing his father or sister again? Never walking these streets or going to skool? Would he never graduate? Dib bit his bottom lip as the seconds ticked by.

Graduate and do what? His thumb stroked the fabric of his lab coat. Cheap, stiff fabric that smelled like chemicals, rot and repression. Dib could stay here and become a scientist just like his dad, rule the Empire and wait until the Armada destroyed his planet. Or he could do what he’d always wanted to do; explore space, learn those mysteries, discover something…and he could save his people. Who would miss him really? No one. But, he would be the greatest man to ever live.

Dib released his lip and tried to fight back a smile. “Okay.” With relish, he yanked off his lab coat and tossed it aside. “But, we have to stop by my house first. I have to get some things.”

Zim was surprised. He was certain that the Dib-thing would have had second thoughts, but he seemed….eager. Why did this throw Zim off so much? And more importantly, why was he…thrilled?

“Smart decision, worm-baby.” Zim smirked. He eyed the clock a bit before looking back at the human. “Your human supplies better be important, otherwise it will be a colossal waste of time that we do not have.” Zim gave a quick peek at the clock, once more, before marching past the human and to the large, inviting exit doors. “Let’s hurry this up.”

“They’re important to me at least, Space-Boy. Now, you better hold up or you’ll get lost and set off alarms that we didn’t take down.” Dib scurried to catch up with Zim’s strides, even though they aren’t long ones, considering the alien’s legs were pretty short.

Zim was pretty short in general. He shoved the door open for the both of them and waited for his partner to pass through before glancing back at the place where he’d seen many creatures captured and taken to death, where he’d made the decision that would make his life incredible.


	6. Punch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It should’ve been terrifying. Wasn’t nearly dying a scary thing? Aliens were supposed to be scary. This whole thing screamed ‘cheap horror movie’ and yet, all Dib could focus on was Zim’s eyes. They were leaping with rage, practically black they were so dark and there would be a nasty bruise on his cheek. Dib felt satisfied about that.

The halls were abandoned and eerie. Two sets of feet hitting the tile echoed hauntingly in the dark. Dib’s ears were perked for any noise beyond the two of them, knowing they had time but a limited amount. He took a sharp turn towards a stair well and glanced back only to see that Zim was still walking, determined and crazy, with no idea that Dib had turned. The alien must have a blind spot or something, seeing only what was in front of him.

The teen rushed over and grabbed the edge of Zim’s sleeve and tugged him back in the right direction. “We have to take these stairwells.We're less likely to run into anyone that way.”

Zim leaned against the rails and peered up the stairwell, letting out a small groan. “What was going on in the big head of yours? That will take too long!”

The Irken let out a huff before the pod on his back slid open. The click-whirr of his long, metal legs unfolding into the space behind Zim echoed against the bare walls of the staircase. He was hoisted easily off the ground, his PAK legs being second nature, like an extension of the Irken himself.

“Hang on, Dib-worm.” Zim turned Dib around and wrapped his arms around the taller male’s ribs, lifting him off the ground without too much trouble. “Arg, you’re heavier than you appear.” He grunted.

Without wasting any more time, they were launched up the stairs. The four metallic legs carried them swiftly upwards in large strides, tiny pings of metal hitting the wall trailing after them.

Zim kept a tight grip on the human as his feet dangled and swung in the air, though he thought he might drop him a couple times on their ascent. He was grateful when they reached the top floor, and Zim dropped the human to the floor.

“Ok, now where?”

The human’s body was frozen, eyes wide behind his glasses. Instinct demanded that he freak out and flail but, fear of being dropped kept him still. Dib whined and took a step back from the irken, brushing himself off. “Come on. It’s through here.” Dib pushed open said door until they were on the roof with the barely there stars shining on them.

Zim brushed himself off, retracting his PAK legs and landing on his feet with a soft thump. He followed Dib onto the roof with wide strides, eager to meet the night. The cool air brushed over his feelers and he let in a large gulp of welcome freedom. The Earth air, however wretched it was, was still a nice change of scenery compared to being in that box of filth.

He leapt out onto the roof, reaching his hands out towards the sky. Such a wonderful, beautifully wretched sky! Its vastness opened up to Zim once more, and nothing could box him up again. He let out a triumphant laugh, letting it resonate from his chest and into the night air. He leaned over the edge of the building, peering down at the city lights.

Small, insignificant ants marching their way through their dull, uneventful lives. This planet truly was pathetic; undeserving of the life that inhabited it. He took in a deep breath and yelled over the edge to the city.

“You think you can keep Zim locked up! You threw your best my way and I still beat you! ZIM IS UNSTOPPABLE!” He cackled.

Dib breathed a laugh, feeling his lips curl up at the sight Zim made, laughing at the skyline. Being locked up had obviously made him stir crazy. He looked triumphed, a soldier who had defeated his enemy. There was still an small bit of anger at the alien for lying but, Dib couldn’t help but be happy for him anyway.

The city was buzzing, the city he’d grown up in and had never really left. From here he could see his neighborhood and the old arcade, the ice cream Shoppe, his skool. His whole life existed here and though it was a part of him, he had also never had as much fun, as much excitement in his life than he’d had standing by Zim.

Dib leaned against the metal wall next to the irken and smirked. “Are you gonna get your ship or waste time yelling at inanimate buildings?”

“It is not the buildings I'm is yelling at; but the planet! It tried to keep me down but to no avail, unsurprisingly.” Zim gleamed, turning back to the human.

The city lights glowed up at them and lit up Dib’s face in a way Zim had never seen before. He had only ever seen Dib in the lab, where harsh light shone downward. From here things seemed much more…natural. His face seemed less pale, and surrounded by the night, his amber eyes stood out noticeably. They seemed to glow from a fire that burned internally, somewhere from the very soul of the human. They lit up the night around them, almost as if he was setting the cool air on fire.

Zim cleared his throat and pushed himself away from the edge.

“That’s enough of that.” He mumbled as his PAK legs deployed once more. “Let’s get out of here. The Cruiser is nearby, a short sprint and we’ll be home-free. Tuck your legs in this time; I don’t need your giant human-legs throwing off my balance.”

And once more, Zim was scooping the human up underneath his arms. Not hesitating for a moment, Zim took them over the edge, his PAK legs carefully wedging them against the Membrane Lab building and its neighbor.

Zim stared at him for a few seconds and Dib stared back, confused but feeling an odd sense of excitement low in his gut. He should ask what he’s looking at. But, then he didn’t have to because suddenly he was scooped up in Zim’s arms, obeying without question and they were scaling the freaking building. A scream of fear, of excitement built up and stuck in his throat. Dib wanted to throw his arms wide.

Zim hoisted them down until the human’s feet could touch the ground and then dropped themselves onto the concrete. “There, now let’s get out of here.” He sprinted, leading the way to his ship, which was maybe a bit too close to the Labs, all things considered. It nestled not-so-neatly behind some foliage. “Here. It’s a one passenger ship so we’ll have to improvise…”

The human followed behind Zim, eyes peeled for any sign of the day shift. They would be showing up soon if his calculations were correct which they were. After making sure it was safe he turned back to Zim and stared. A real life alien space ship. Oh my god.

“Oh my god.” Awe. It was compact and a light magenta color that reminded him of Zim’s eyes. It shined in the vague lights of the night. Dib’s fingers twitched with the urge to touch it. And he found he couldn’t deny himself, hands skimming the smooth metal. It gave him shivers. Alien technology that was so far beyond anything he’d ever seen before. Such a tiny vessel and it could take them into space.

“It’s…amazing.”

“Yes, it is, isn’t it. Now stop gawking and hop in.” Zim demanded and the cockpit popped open. “We only have so much time and we still need to stop by your residence.” Zim ushered the human into the seat before climbing in after him. “Now just…don’t move around too much.”

Zim swung himself into the cockpit, taking his seat on Dib’s lap. Luckily there was still room for him to comfortably navigate the ship as the door closed on them  
The foliage rustled violently as the Voot lifted itself off the ground with ease and took off from its hiding spot. They started off low to the ground before Zim brought them up above the city, and once more Zim found himself smirking at the small ants below them. So unaware as to what was coming. So unassuming.

With the Voot’s help, it didn’t take long for them to reach the Membrane household, with Dib pointing the way from behind the small alien. Zim gracefully lowered the cruiser into the fenced off back yard, and wasted no time popping the cockpit open and hopping out, not wanting to think about the fact that he had been sharing his personal space with the human. Who was oddly soft and warm, regardless of his gargantuan nature.

“Ahem,” Zim cleared his throat, looking around the yard. “Let’s make this quick; only grab what you need.”

Dib struggled out of the cockpit, much less graceful than his alien counterpart, grumbling and finally landing on the grass with a grunt. The ride had been awkward and he had no idea why. Well, it had been so on his part at least. Zim seemed not to care even a bit that they’d been touching pretty much everywhere and that they’d shared heat.

Would they have to ride like that all the way to Zim’s planet? The very idea was a bit…discomforting. Dib wasn’t claustrophobic, thankfully but being in such close contact with the irken had an effect on him. “I’ll do my best.”

He cleared his throat and stumbled towards the back door, yanking his key out of the depths of his pocket and pushing it into the lock the same time that he typed in the code. It opened with a whoosh and Dib fled inside, forgoing turning any lights on, lest he wake up Gaz.

It took him only a few seconds to take the stairs two at a time and crash into his room which was as messy as he’d left it this morning. Dib grabbed another bag from his closet and filled it with a change of clothes. That was all he needed, except maybe some food from the kitchen. His fingers went to turn off the light to his room only to pause, biting down on his bottom lip. An idea itched at the back of his mind.

In the corner of his closet, hidden by tons of other boxes and clothes there was something he’d bought on instinct nearly a year ago. It might be too small by now. With a groan, he bounced over to the closet and shoved everything else out of his way until he found what he was looking for; it was dusty but once Dib yanked the smooth fabric from its box he felt a shiver of excitement.

It had been his birthday. Dib had gotten what he’d expected that year; lab equipment, chemicals, books and money. The black trench coat had been in the mall, hanging in the back of one of those stores he never went into. The kind of place where kids had beanies and dark clothes with chains and tons of piercings.

But, he’d gone in with Gaz. And began looking around out of boredom and there it was in the very back, hanging on a rack of clearance stuff. Dib didn’t know why he’d bought it as he never wore it. Maybe now was the time. If it even fit.

The fabric slid over his arms effortlessly, smooth and slightly cool. It warmed nearly instantly. Despite been shoved in the back of his closet for nearly a year, it fit like a glove. A smile spread on his face and Dib grabbed his stuff before flying back down the stairs with a glance at his sister’s room. He thought of her briefly. She would be okay. Gaz was always okay. Maybe they would see each other again one day.

There wasn’t much food in the house because they hadn’t gone grocery shopping recently but, Dib figured he could deal with chips and water for now. There had better be food wherever they were going or he’d throw a bitch-fit. Finally, he slipped back out into the night with the door shutting behind him with a click. “I think that’s all I need for now.”

“Finally,” Zim groaned, kicking a nearby pinecone. “Why you even bothered is beyond me, whatever you grab here on Earth will be completely useless in comparison to the sheer superiority of Irken equipment.” He huffed, standing aside for the taller male to hop back into the cruiser and taking note of his wardrobe change. The black fabric was much easier on the eyes, and Zim was thankful for that. Plus Dib stuck out much less, which was always a big help in situations like these. But in the end, Zim figured it wouldn’t even matter.

Dib didn’t hop back into the cruiser, instead he threw his back in before turning to Zim and glaring. “Um. Arrogance, much? I mean I know humans kind of suck but, I do need thing stuff keep me, Yanno alive, until we can figure out this whole thing.”

“We really have no time for your endless whining, Dib-worm.” Zim glowered. His feelers fell back as his brow furrowed. It was always one thing or another with the creature. Why did he think it was a good idea to bring him along again? He was suddenly having trouble remembering. “You know, I don’t HAVE to take you with me, right? You’d better just be grateful I’m not giving you up to my leaders!”

Dib’s jaw clenched and his fists curled. No punching the ally. No punching the ally. “No. We’ve gone over this. I saved your ass, _Invader_. And you owe me. You owe me my god damn planet. We could argue about this more. We could wait until it escalates. Or we could get in the damn ship. Because either way, Zim,” He poked the irken in the chest, enunciating each word. “I. am. Getting. In that.ship.” 

Suddenly it was a matter of pride. Never mind that it was Zim’s idea for Dib to come along. Never mind the fact that Dib had save Zim’s life. It was now about having the last say.

Zim glared up at the human, magenta eyes darkening in newfound anger. He bared his teeth and growled, straightening his back and puffing out his chest. “Zim owes nobody! I could have gotten out of that cell just _fine_ , without your help!” He returned the jabs issued to his chest.

Dib had never punched anyone in his entire life. Had never had much reason or want to. Now he wanted to very, very badly.

“And one life, no matter how great it is, is not worth saving this ball of dirt! You’d better be more keen on showing me the proper respect, lest I decide to change my mind!” Zim barked.

Unbidden a fiery rage had built up in his belly and each word out of Zim's mouth only seemed to tempt it from hiding. 

“Yo-You…” His fists were balled and clenched so hard he could feel the blood seeping from his knuckles. His blood boiled and before he could even think...

His fist connected hard to the side of Zim’s face and it _hurt_. Immediately, after doing so Dib began cursing and holding his hand to his chest. “Fuck. Holy. Your head is freakin—oh my god.”

Zim stumbled back, more out of surprise than anything else. Hot, dull pain ebbed through Zim’s face and down his neck and caused him to cringe. He cupped the side of his face and looked back at the human, eyes, or rather EYE wide in shock.

Dib had struck him. The human had the gall to actually strike Zim. After everything the Irken was willing to do. It was obvious that the human had no real background in hand-to-hand combat, but at this point that fact was moot. Zim’s surprised melted away, leaving the raw expression of rage behind. A bright bruise already forming on his green cheek.

There was no hesitation as Zim retaliated, no thought going into what he actually planned to do; only raw fighting instinct. He leapt and his tiny claws enclosed around the human’s neck, a growl escaping his throat.

Who knew what Dib might’ve done next. He most likely would’ve cursed more and apologized. Maybe he would've tried to steal the irken's ship. But, none of that happened because suddenly he was suffocating and falling backwards against the vessel with Zim on top of him, growling and squeezing.

The human’s eyes narrowed and his own hands went up to grasp at the other’s, pulling with all his might. There were spots flashing behind his vision. This could not be happening. This was insane. This morning he’d woken up, thinking he could save an innocent being and now he was being choked by the hands of a monster.

It should’ve been terrifying. Wasn’t nearly dying a scary thing? Aliens were supposed to be scary. This whole thing screamed ‘cheap horror movie’ and yet, all Dib could focus on was Zim’s eyes. They were leaping with rage, practically black they were so dark and there would be a nasty bruise on his cheek. Dib felt satisfied about that. There was no air and he was so hot under his collar. This alien was viciously ethereal. An urge. A urge that was equally as ridiuclous as punching Zim. And yet, it seemed like natural next step. Like it had been building up since the moment their eyes met. 

Zim’s entire being seethed with beautiful passion and Dib let go of the alien’s hands and instead curled his fingers behind Zim’s head, yanking him down and pressing their lips together. No thinking. Just the black dots before his eyes and ivy,alien skin to be marked, by any means.

Zim’s fingers unfurled in surprise at the sudden impact. He had imagined something much more forceful, like a head-butt. But their lips mashed together and things suddenly slowed down, his thoughts coming to a screeching halt.

It was suddenly hard to remember what it was that he needed to do. All he could seem to focus on was the heat that emanated from the human’s lips pressed against his own. Zim's hands ran up the human’s neck and jaw before burying themselves in Dib’s hair, grabbing a handful of it before pulling away, leaving only a centimeter of space between their faces. He licked his lips, taking in the strange flavor that the human’s mouth left behind, something within him thumping hard and pushing the blood in his body to his face.

“I have to admit….that’s a pretty good means of defense….” Zim whispered, reluctantly. 

“I-I…uh…” Dib’s heart beat double time and so hard he heard it in his ears which felt very hot, everything felt hot, especially the places where they touched. A small, unsure smile curled his lips and he let out a shuddering breath.  It was a bit hard to breathe. “Yeah. I’ll have to remember it next time.” _Next time?_

The pads of his finger tips brushed smooth skin, sliding down the back of Zim’s neck then back up again towards his antenna. He’d barely touched them once and they’d been sensitive. Dib wanted to touch them now and he couldn’t break his gaze away from Zim’s half lidded eyes. They were so close. 

This was his first kiss. 

“We…we should be…doing something.” Zim muttered under his breath as he felt those warm fingers trail up his scalp. He leaned his head back slightly into the touch, his eyes closing as they found their way to his antennae. He hated the human for this. He hated him for being so good at distracting him; for being so warm and…delicious.

A shudder ripped through him and he let out a small gasp as Dib’s digits fondled their way up Zim’s sensitive stalks. A purr made its way out of Zim’s chest, and he didn’t even notice that he was pressing himself closer against the body beneath him.

The purr worked its way through to Dib who shivered in response because he’d caused it and it was wonderful. He brushed his fingers over the base of one of Zim’s antenna. “Something…” He chastely pressed a kiss to Zim’s top lip, trying to think... 

What was at his back? Something hard. A ship. The ship…oh. Right.

His eyes snapped open and Dib fought the urge to shove the irken away. “Leaving. Uh. Earth. That’s what we’re doing.”

The antenna twitched softly in Dib’s fingers, aching for the soft caress that they promised. “Are you sure,” Zim panted softly against the human’s lips. He wasn’t so sure that was it. He was certain that they needed to stand here and think about it for a long while.

But the more the human’s words lingered, the more the haze lifted. What were they doing? They didn’t have time for this; they hardly had time for this little stop as it was.

Zim groaned and stood up on his toes, mashing their lips together forcefully, taking in the flavor. He pulled away after a moment, pulling himself from the human. He wiped his mouth, glaring up at the taller male. His golden eyes burned with a deep seeded desire he could easily recognize and relate to. He took in a deep breath of cool air, the night filling the gap between their once tangled bodies and leaving Zim’s chest, among other things, feeling chilled.

“Just get in the Cruiser. And don’t think your little stunt it going to be enough to make up for this.” He reminded, pointing to his bruised cheek.

“Abluh.” Dib said not too coherently. It was hard to make any sense at the moment. But, after the haze of…lust? (Oh that’s weird) faded he managed to breathe properly and scowl a bit. It wasn’t his most effective one but, it was good enough as he climbed into the vessel.

“Y-You started choking me—“ He stopped himself. That would get them nowhere but, fighting again and as well as this one had turned out…Dib stopped himself. Again. No more thinking about kissing and fighting. Make peace, Dib.

“I-I’m sorry about punching you. My temper got the best of me. You’re the only one I’ve ever met that’s made me that mad before.” And crazed, filled with weird urges. Dib licked his lips because they tingled and he wanted it to go away, only to end up shivering because his lips tasted like Zim. Zim already had a taste; it was unnamable. It tasted like nothing from earth. Dib figured it was something to do with space. He flopped against the chair and waited.

Zim took in a deep breath of the night, one last time, before jumping into the ship after Dib. “Yes, well.” The Irken shifted a bit before closing the door on them once again. “I guess my years of combat training got the best of me.” He muttered as the Voot roared to life.

For the second time, they took off, only now with a different course in mind. They were flying through the clouds in no time, the city becoming a pinpoint of light in a sea of surrounding cities, and soon states.

They broke through the clouds with minor turbulence, and Zim looked back over his shoulder, first at the planet, then at the human he currently sat on.  
“Say goodbye, Dib-worm.” He said with a smirk as they burst free from the Earth’s atmosphere.

And as the Earth took its global shape behind them, they finally seemed to level out. The darkness of space was the only thing greeting them, ahead. Darkness and a long, awkward journey.


	7. Enclosed Spaces; Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But the fact that he now shared the cabin with another creature made things…less comfortable. It didn’t help the matter that Zim was sitting on its lap.

Zim let out a breath of relief, finally free of that planet he so despised.  
“Alright, now that THAT’S over with, I can pinpoint the Massive’s coordinates, and set a straight course. It most we are looking at maybe…a few Earth weeks. Nothing to scoff at, really, considering it took six of them to get here from Earth.”

Gold eyes had been glued to the slowly receding planet, but then Dib’s head snapped forward. “Weeks? Wow. That’s….long.” A very long time to spend with someone who he’d just kissed. And nearly been killed by. Actually, it was a long time for Dib to spend with anybody. At least he was doing it with someone interesting. Slowly, he nodded.

“Okay…” A final glance towards his planet and though he planned on seeing it again _someday_ , hopefully when it was safe…Dib said goodbye in his head to all of the people in his life and the humdrum rut it had become.

“Well, I don’t know about you, Space-Boy, but I don't run on a magical thing on my back. I will die without proper sustenance and before you say anything, yes it’s pitiful and yes, humans are pathetic and weak.”

“Well just as long as you can admit it.”Zim sighed as he fiddled with the control board. “How long can you go? We can maybe swing by Foodcourtia; it isn’t too far off course. It wouldn’t be a gargantuan waste of time. And I could pick some things out for myself, as well.” Zim said with a bit of delight. He had lived on his snack reserve and earth food, alone. It would be nice to have something with sustenance. Although he had his PAK to keep him going, his body still needed the nutrients, just not so much as his human counterpart.

“I’m sure there will be something there that you can eat.” He peeked over his shoulder at the boy. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem too torn up about leaving his planet behind. Zim had figured it would have hit home when he finally saw his planet recede into darkness, and yet he seemed more focused on Zim and…well…food.

Then again, he wasn’t aware that it was going to be the last time he was going to see Earth.

“Umm. Humans can last about…a week at most. And even though I’m one of those people that often forget to eat, I don’t really relish the idea of going a full week. Three days maybe.” Dib replied, shifting awkwardly under the irken, wondering where he should put his hands at and settled with letting them hang by his sides.

Foodcourtia sounded really interesting. But, then again any planet sounded interesting. A chance to see new lifeforms. “I brought some chips which I can eat for a few days. And water. Which just so you know is also mandatory for humans. Hey…didn’t you spend a lot of time on Earth? How do you not know this stuff?”

“The actual function of you humans didn’t particularly interest me.” Zim mumbled. “I was more focused on your planet’s defenses and how human’s interacted with the planet. Everything else was sort of…a moot point.” Although this wasn’t entirely true; humans were a bit more complicated than Zim had first assumed, and most of his findings were educated guesses based off his observations. Most of which he had found out later were wrong. But the human didn’t need to know this, of course.

“A week? How did you humans not use up all of Earth’s resources?” Zim grumbled and fiddled with some of the controls. “Well, if I push it I can maybe get us there within the week. We can stock up on supplies for the rest of the trip.”

He peeked over at the human once more, who looked about as awkward as Zim felt. “In the meantime, we’ll just have to….wait.” He said with a small shrug.

Huh. Made some sort of sense, Dib decided. “Well, we have farms and people who work around the clock in factories to create food. Plus, it’s not like the entire world actually gets to eat. There are people who go hungry all the time.” He set his jaw. It was a fact of life. Not one that he enjoyed thinking about.

Outside the window, space loomed before them. It was dark and ominous. Filled with vast mysteries and Dib had a tight knot in his stomach. This was his life’s dream happening right before his eyes. Zim was so casual about it. The irken probably went into space all the time. It was common. 

Zim shifted uncomfortably in his spot. This was about the time that he would sit in silence and reflect on his past years, maybe sleep just for the heck of it.

But the fact that he now shared the cabin with another creature made things…less comfortable. It didn’t help the matter that Zim was sitting on its lap. He cleared his throat and shifted to face the human, sitting sideways across his lap.  
“We might as well make something useful of this time. So if you have any pressing questions that need answering, now would be the time.”

Gah. Stop moving, Dib mentally yelled, nostrils flaring and throat cramping. “Uh.” His mind remained blank for a few second which kind of freaked him out. His mind was never blank. It was always filled to the brim with so many questions that it sometimes got annoying and gave him a head ache.

Thankfully, a whole flood hit him and his lips popped open nearly audibly and they began to spill; “Why _exactly_ were you on earth? What are your people like? Will they accept me? How much training have you had? What is your home planet like?”

Those were the ‘professional’ questions he had. “Why did you kiss me back? Do you kiss on your planet?” Treat it like an experiment. This isn’t personal at all. Then most important… “Married. Why are you willing to do this? Is marriage a huge deal on Irk like it is on Earth? Or do you already have like a wife or husband? Spouse? Are you guys polygamous?” He took a deep breath and relaxed a tiny bit now that some of them were out.

“Sorry. You don’t have to answer all of those. Sometimes that happens. They hate me at Skool cause I always raise my hand and blurt out a thousand questions at once.” I also talk too much, Dib mentally tacked on.

“Whoa-whoa-whoa!” Zim waved a hand in front of Dib’s face before pressing the pads of his gloved talons to the noisy creature’s mouth. “Stop talking for a second, Dib-worm, and I might answer your endless questions.”

He huffed. What was he thinking when he mentioned questions? He should have known better by now. Zim took a deep breath, pressing his hands together.

“Well, first of all. I came to Earth to learn about it and its inhabitants. To learn about weaknesses or potential strengths that might come in between us Irkens and the downfall of your planet. We are fighters, us Irkens; we strive to be known as the best and to rule without question. Power is the only thing that is universally recognized, and we plan to use that to our advantage. As some say on Earth, ‘it is better to be feared than loved’. That rule is widely recognized, as it turns out.”

The Irken’s hands moved through the air as he talked. He paused to think for a moment, trying to figure out the best possible way to answer. “My home planet is perfect; we’ve utilized the space given to us by nature without flaw. Most of what happens on Irk, happens within its crust. Underground—which was where I spent most of my life training, to answer that question. Then when I was finally ready to emerge, I was then subject to even more training. And some vacation time on Foodcourtia, but only briefly before starting my work on this mission.”

Another pause.

“Will they accept you? Mmm…well. No. Not really. But you have me to protect you, so you don’t need to worry.” His feelers straightened out behind him as he approached the less tasteful questions.

“Union isn’t something that happens often on Irk. We have more important things to worry about, and since we do not reproduce biologically—there is really no need to find a mate. It’s a relief; no pressure of trying to impress your peers, when you COULD be impressing the Tallest!” He gleamed a bit at the mention of his leaders.

“But if it does happen, the union is encoded in our PAKs; it would become a part of us—who we are.” He pointed to the small pod on his back. The thought wasn’t exactly preferable to Zim; he was perfect the way he was, and didn’t need any tempering. He clicked his tongue before moving on.

“Kissing isn’t something foreign to Irkens, though it isn’t our default means of expressing affecting, which rarely happens as it is. So why did I kiss you back? Instinct. We were in the heat of the moment and I was still running off of adrenaline.” He cleared his throat, thinking back on it. That was the case, and that was what he was going to keep telling himself.

“There was hardly any logic in it at all. I guess the question I should be asking YOU is: why did you kiss me in the first place?”

Dib soaked up all the new information like a sponge, storing it for later and licking his lips like he’d just had a big meal. It was the best feeling in the world; to have your curiosity satiated. Only by the end of Zim’s speech a flush had taken satisfaction’s place, turning his ears and cheeks red.

Dib ran a hand down the back of his neck and shrugged, feeling a bit overwhelmed. He had even more questions now but, there was one directed at him. Dib wasn’t so good at answering.

“Y-You were choking me. It was the only thing I could think to do…” Plus, Zim’s eyes were so dark and filled with mysteries. There’d been something heated in his belly, exploding between heart beats in his ears and the shattered remains of sanity had drawn him closer and closer. It was as if they’d been leading up to that moment ever since he’d laid eyes on the green creature in the clear box of death.

Dib cleared his throat and shifted again. “So…if a union is so rare…why are you doing this?” All of his embarrassment sunk to the bottom and that curiosity rose up again. Instinct said that he might not like the answer. But, he had to know.

“I know I’ll do anything to save my planet. And don’t get me wrong, I’m very, very grateful. If it works, hell I’ll be in your debt forever…but, you could’ve just left me back there. You don’t have to do any of this…”

Zim nodded. It was an admirable, if not stupid, attempt at survival in the heat of battle. Zim could appreciate any means given in order to thrive; he wasn’t afraid to admit he’d handed out some ‘cheap shots’ in his time as a soldier. You do what you need to in order to stay alive.

But he didn’t have time to dwell on the matter, as the human was spewing out even more questions. Zim sighed a little and leaned his head back in thought. Why was he doing this? He wasn’t quite sure. He had to give a small shrug, a near mimic of the one received from the human.

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. Call it a whim, I suppose. I figure…there might be more to gain from saving you alone than from turning your whole planet into some sort of snack manufacturing planet.” Though it was hard to imagine.

But he had to sit back a moment and think about the sheer honesty of the statement he had just given. It was something he had believed from the moment they first talked to each other. He glanced back up at him now; filled to the brim with excitement and an eagerness that showed on his face and in his bright golden eyes. Those burning, passionate eyes…  
“Is that all?” He asked with a tinge of apprehension.

Dib couldn’t help but stare right back, frozen with Zim’s statement. It somehow felt like a huge deal. Maybe it was because right after he’d said it the alien looked contemplative. Dib felt honored for some reason and it almost kept him silent. Almost. “I…I think so. For now.”

Brown eyes flitted to the window and then back at Zim before resting finally on the moon as they floated past it. Incredible. It was. Something he’d wanted to see since he’d known what the moon was. And yet, he still had to fight to keep his gaze from straying back to Zim. Insane.

“What about you? Any questions for me?” Dib asked. He didn’t really expect there to be any. But, it seemed polite.

Zim’s antennae perked up at the prompt. There was little he could learn from the human that he hadn’t already learned in his time on Earth. But it would be a lie to say that there were a few things that he wasn’t curious about.

“There is one thing. At first I assumed your willingness to come with me was all in loyalty to your planet. But now that I have you here with me, and seeing the eagerness plainly painted on your strange face—I bet it’s safe to say that the assumption isn’t completely true.” He cocked his head a bit as he stared at the human, trying to read his expression.

“So I guess what I want to know is; why are you really doing this?”

Dib was taken aback, eyes growing wide behind his glasses. He hadn’t expected that. Was it really so easy to see? Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath before responding. “I do want to save my planet, Zim…” It wasn’t a lie. Earth was his home and he cared about the life there, as naïve as they were.

“But, I would be lying if I said there weren't…other reasons for my wanting to come. If Earth weren’t in danger, I would’ve went anyway. Assuming you’d asked me still.” He added quickly.

“I’ve wanted to see space for so long now. Ever since I could look up at the night and see the fading light and my dad told me about stars. Plus, I guess this is another way of avoiding…” the inevitable? Responsibility? Life? The one thing that made him shoot upright in bed, soaked in sweat and near to tears because it scared him so badly? “,becoming my dad.”

Zim nodded a bit, figuring that was as good an answer as any, although he didn’t quite understand the bit about his father. Why wouldn’t he want to become one of the most feared individuals on his planet? He certainly had the potential.

“Your father is a very big influence on your planet. Why would you not want the same for yourself? Power is glory; why would you turn that down for…..this” He motioned to the space outside of the window, endless and foreboding.

“Heh.” Dib laughed bitterly, or at least tried to. It came out breathy sounding and his hand suddenly couldn’t keep still so he shoved them in his pockets. The fabric was cool and comforting. Why had he never worn this before? But, he knew why he hadn’t. The same reason for everything. But, how to explain that? He stared out where Zim had motioned, out the window, endless and fascinating.

“I’m in love with this.” Dib jerked his chin at the darkness. “Space was science, a kind of science at least. And science was all that was acceptable in my house. I used to fight it. Dreamed of doing other things…” Things like solving mysteries. Forbidden things like the paranormal. Ghosts and goblins…aliens. “But, eventually it was too much and I started following in my dad’s foot steps. Science was okay. I’m good at it. Very good. So good that it’s boring. But, there was space and my dad approved so I worked on that.”

Hours spent staring through a telescope, mapping and naming every single star he could find. Sometimes he came up with stories for them. Dib also liked nebulae and black holes. The idea of space was endless. All of it new and yet it was billions of years old. Space was filled with possibilities.

“When I get old enough, I’m supposed to take over the Empire. Over Membrane Enterprises.” His voice sounded far away and flat. 

“I have to step into dad’s shoes and make sure everything runs smoothly. Become tall and foreboding and blind and boring and so busy with discovering worthless things that I don’t even have the time to go home and make dinner and have it with my kids. I’ll forget what it’s like to be young and curious. I won’t ask questions but, rethink the old ones. I’ll be encased permanently in white, put up in marble statues. I’ll be a god. But, at the price of my humanity. No more dreaming. No more Dib.”

Dib came to with his hand pressed against the window’s surface, he gulped and snatched his hand away. He’d gone off again. Talking and talking. He needed to stop doing that. Maybe he should invest in some duct tape or something.


	8. Enclosed Spaces; Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim had always been selfish; he took what he wanted and almost never truly needed a reason behind his actions other than he just simply wanted it. He had gotten by on this policy, and it hadn’t steered him wrong, yet. Only on rare occasions did he do something for somebody other than himself, and that was mostly for his Tallest, of course.

Zim leaned back when the human reached out to touch the glass, watching him with curious eyes. The human’s gaze seemed far away as he looked past him into the abyss of space as he talked, and Zim could tell that the human wasn’t with him anymore. He was back on his planet, reliving the years he had spent doing something he had no passion for. He had lived seventeen years of his life stuck in some lab doing something he had never wanted to do in the first place. The Irken couldn’t imagine. Zim had always been doing what he loved, save for that short time on Foodcourtia.

The human snapped back and he was suddenly with Zim again.

“I guess that makes sense.” Zim finally said slowly. “So...I suppose then I am the one who is saving you?” He mused with a bit of a smirk. “I guess I’m not so much of a jerk, after all, eh?”  
Dib smirked wryly before throwing a glance back at the Irken.

“Heh. Yeah. I guess in a way you are saving me. “ A funny thought indeed. It wasn’t one he was used to thinking considering the fact that he was pretty independent when it came to this stuff. One way or another he was sure he would’ve gotten to space. Right? Even if that had meant being the ruler of the Membrane Empire.

And as for the jerk thing… “You’re still a jerk though.” Pause. “But, less of one.” Dib graced the alien with a gentle smile and attempted to wipe the smudge off the window with his elbow.

Zim gleamed. Of course he wasn’t a jerk, what was the human creature even saying? Zim was merciful and wonderful; not a jerk at all. He waved a hand through the air. “Ah, what do you know?” He jabbed in an almost playful tone.

The alien sighed a bit, pressing his fingers together. “I suppose we should discuss our plan while we have all this time. Mainly how we plan to present the situation to my leaders..”

Dib nodded, thinking that was a good idea. Come up with their game plan. Leaning back to get a bit more comfortable, he shoved his hands back in his pockets, ignoring all of the satisfaction that Zim was radiating. “Okay. Well, you’re the one who might have a better chance of explaining it to them. But, I want to help in any way possible. Um…”

There was the topic of marriage. How they planned to fix this whole thing. Bring their planets together. The idea was still horribly weird but, it was much better than planning on starting war. He didn’t want to fight Zim though the alien _was_ a jerk. Dib fought back a tiny smirk and took a deep breath.

“Well, I guess we need to..ask them for their permission first? Like see if this thing will work. Then if it does…get it over with as quickly as possible.” That begged the questions though, how did Irkens get married? Was it like humans in which there was some people and a preacher and rings? Dib very much doubted it.

“Yes, well…” Zim began slowly. “They need to feel as though you are important enough to hear out your case. This will be difficult, considering nobody is important to the Tallest but themselves and the control brains. And…well…me, of course. The fact that I risked jeopardizing our galactic rule for your planet should be enough to grab their attention.”

The Irken ran a hand over his bruised cheek as he thought. “The fact that you are heir to the most powerful influence on your planet might interest them. But we may need to stretch the truth a bit….”

Dib’s own eyes flickered over Zim’s bruised cheek, feeling kind of bad now. It was darkening quickly and it looked pretty painful. Blue and purple discolorations on the irken’s green skin. It was like a huge blemish and it felt kind of blasphemous that he’d put it there. Dib fought his own urge to reach out and touch it, to investigate.  
Stretch the truth? “What do you mean?”

Magenta orbs shifted their attention to the human. “Well, I mean. Look at you; you don’t look very powerful at all.” He lifted one of the human’s arms to inspect the bony appendage. Gloved claws prodded at the muscle that was there, followed by an unimpressed scoff.

“You are lucky you are tall, or they wouldn’t even bother with you.” He shook his head and let the arm fall. “But even then, they need to believe that your planet is a valuable resource, and that you are the single most important being on it, otherwise they’ll destroy you without a second glance.” The thought made Zim smile a bit, a small sigh escaping his lips. “They are merciless.” He swooned.

“Hey!” Dib sputtered, not knowing whether to be offended or weirded out. So he decided on both. But, he decided just to yank his arm away and shove it down by his side.

Zim shook his head before returning to the matter at hand. “So we glorify Earth and your presence on it, just a tiny bit. Then the rest is history.” He stated in a matter-of-fact tone, giving a small shrug.

“You seem a little too…”Well, what was the proper word. “You um, like your Tallest.” Obvious. But, the way Zim was saying it all was kind of creepy. Like he admired their mercilessness. Clearing his throat, Dib wished he could scoot away.

“Well, fine. I am, besides my father, the most important person on that planet anyways. If not the most important. I’m saving all of their asses aren’t I? Plus, I’m the richest, brightest kid my age.” Although that was mainly thanks to the fact that he had been cloned but, whatever. “I was powerful enough to punch you in the face and stop the Almighty Zim’s fiendish attack on my person.”

Zim sat up straight, his feelers springing forward. “Now, wait! You caught me off-guard, that hardly counts! I wouldn’t be so proud, if I were you.” He grumbled. “I’d like to see you try and do it again.”

The Irken crossed his arms over his chest. “And anyway, I doubt the method you used to get the upper-hand is a legitimate military tactic. I don’t think the Tallest would be impressed.” But he had managed to get in a pretty good hit, as the ugly blue bruise forming on green skin clearly showed. But Zim wasn’t about to admit that.

Snorting, Dib wanted to feel shame, really he did. But, all he felt at the current moment was pride despite Zim’s rebuttal and a bit of confusion as to why the Irken’s ‘try and do it again’ thing had his heart pounding and teeth grinding. “With my epic kissing ninja move of death? I don’t know, Zim. It impressed you enough to make you let go.”

Zim grumbled, unimpressed. His tongue clicked and his lips pursed in defiance. “You caught me off guard.” The Invader repeated himself. “It was a cheap tactic.” But honestly what could he say? He was in an adrenaline-fueled frenzy, and when the human kissed him, instinct drove him to kiss him back.

It was all very rushed, and he couldn’t be held accountable for how he acted. He found himself at a loss of words at the human’s obvious discomfort, though it made him smirk a bit to see.

Dib raised an eyebrow at that smirk and fought the urge to cover it up with his hand, thinking that might get himself bitten. Get on topic, Dib. Ask your questions and figure out this game plan. Don’t waste time (though it seemed like they had a lot of it) messing around with an alien.

“Okay so we get there and we convince them that my planet and I are worthy of saving.” The sarcasm might’ve been too heavy. “And then what? We dress up in our Sunday best and say our I Do’s as the wedding bells ring?”

“What? Stop talking nonsense, Dib-worm. We don’t have time for your jabbering.” Zim waved a hand in front of the human’s face, as if to bat away what he had just said. “If you are asking about the union, it’s doesn’t work like that. The actual act is very private; only for the two parties and the control brains to witness. Modifications are made to our PAKs, and it’s as easy as that.” The Irken shrugged. “Oh, but, that’s right—you don’t have one.” A gloved claw tapped Zim’s chin as he thought. “Well….we’ll have to improvise, then. Something that would be just as permanent….” He trailed off.

Dib wasn’t sure if he liked the sound of that. What would be just as permanent as a full blown encoding in a—well a computer of sorts? But, then couldn’t data be deleted? Yet, another question. Just how _permanent_ were Irken unions? “Like a scar or a tattoo or a freaking chip in my brain?” He helpfully suggested, crossing his arms.

“And how permanent are these unions for you people anyway? Your pak’s are like a computer. Can’t any data just be…I don’t know, deleted?” Seemed pretty unfair. But, then who was he to even think about himself at a time like this? So what if he had a brand new scar for the rest of his days. At least Earth would be safe.

“’Just deleted’,” Zim scoffed. “To delete something from an Irken’s PAK would be deleting a part of them. PAKs don’t just hold data, not like your Earth computers. There are some aspects that can change and be altered, like an Irken’s occupation. But a union, or a marriage as you say. Those are….a bit more complicated. Due to the intimate nature of the thing, it deals with emotions and not just our own—but the other party as well, they are life altering. That’s mainly the reason the act is rarely performed, and reasonably so; a union between two Irkens cannot be undone.”

It was strange how easily information seemed to flow from Zim, now. He had practiced holding back while he was in that cell back on Earth, but this human had the ability to draw it out of him without a second guess. And yet, Zim found that he wasn’t as annoyed as he maybe should have been.

“Wow. That’s…” Heavy. Incredible. Fascinating. All of the above? “Crazy.” Dib made little noise, like air puffing from between his teeth in awe. Learning about Irkens never got old. His mind soaked it up like a sponge. In an effort to distill the seriousness of the situation, he reached over and grabbed his little bag he’d taken and pulled out one of the bags of chips, popping it open and immediately scooping a few up and chewing on them slightly. Chew, chew and swallow.

It was still hard to believe that Zim was doing this for him. Flattering and insane. Too intense for his young brain to handle. Even if it was pretty advanced (if he did say so himself). “So, emotions, eh? So, like does the Control Brain just do as you tell it to or will you have to go through certain…trials to prove something?” Or was he asking too many questions? Guess he would shut up when Zim told him to.

Zim watched Dib munch on his chips, revolted by the sight of the Earthly food. It didn’t help that he could smell the grease off the baked goods, either. He huffed a bit, his hand thoughtlessly returning to his bruised cheek.

“Trials? No, not really. Or at least, none that I’ve ever heard of. They assist in the PAK encryption and alterations, as is the case for whenever PAK alterations are necessary, and of course they record it for documentation.” Zim made a small noise of disapproval once he realized he was fussing with his cheek again, and dropped his hand to his lap.

“Honestly, the fact that you’d voluntarily alter who you are permanently should be trial enough.” Brown eyes watched the alien’s hand as it moved to his cheek and then down again with a huff. Dib chewed another chip and nodded, trying to understand and thinking that maybe he could with this. Maybe. Hadn’t he altered himself for his father? It probably wasn’t even close to the same sort of thing. But it was a start.

“Why do you keep touching your face? Did I really get you that good?”

“Ha. You think you could actually hurt Zim?” The alien chuckled dryly, but there was a small hitch in his voice that Zim wasn’t able to catch, and he feared it might have given him away. He shrugged and peered out the window, his fingers curling into the fabric of his uniform.

There was no shame in it; the human had caught him off guard, after all.  
  
But the seemingly smug air that surrounded Dib put Zim off. He knew from the get-go that Dib wasn’t a creature of strength, or he at least didn’t have any background in fighting; to think that Zim was his first fighting experience both tickled and infuriated Zim. He was mostly surprised by the act of it, but Zim would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt. But Zim was a very good liar. Or at least he liked to think so.

Dib’s lips stopped around a chip, frozen as he listened intently. There had been something wrong. A hitch in Zim’s voice and a vulnerability. He wasn’t exactly an expert on human body language, let alone an alien’s…but, there were some things that were universal it seemed; knowing that you’d really hurt someone and the guilt that just wouldn’t go away. He put the chip down.

“Holy crap. I _did_.” He’d been joking before. Maybe when he’d hit Zim that had…violated some sort of fragile trust. Eh-no. That would not be good. Not good at all.  
Dib glanced down at his hand where the knuckles were a bit red. They would be bruised too. But, gosh not like it was his _face_ or anything. Zim seemed pretty prideful and kind of arrogant and from what he’d said about his race, they weren’t push overs. Sighing, he dropped the chip back in the bag and brushed his hand off on his pants.

“Look. Sorry about…hitting you. In the face. I should’ve like…aimed lower or something. Or not hit as hard. Or done it at all. I’ve never…done anything like that before. You’d just…made me so mad.” He’d never been that mad before. “It won’t happen again. You did put a few small scratches in my neck,” And it was kind of wheezy to breathe now. “But, when we get to foodcourt-uh…whatever. You can punch me back if you like? No hold backs?”

The proposition was an interesting one. But Zim couldn’t help but wonder what the human’s angle was. He’d let Zim punch him in the face? All because he had given Zim a good smack on the cheek? It must have been a human thing, he figured.

He looked the human over, his head tilted to the side as he tried to read Dib’s expression. What he saw there was hard to name; a mixture of guilt and sincerity. Whatever it was, it sent a crack to shoot up through Zim’s defenses and he found his posture sagging.

“I might have to take you up on that offer at a later time. I’m sure that by the time we get there, food will be our first priority.” He grumbled.

Dib glanced down at the chips, realizing he should probably save them. The bag rustled as he curled it into a ball and shoved it back into his bag. “I suppose.” He sideways glanced at Zim and saw his slanted posture wondering what caused it and figuring that was enough questions for the day, er night? Whatever.

With a drawn out groan, he slunk down and let the stars have him. They really were beautiful. Strange to be looking at them now, so close and still so far but at least he wasn’t stuck to the ground. It stayed silent for a while and Dib just stared out the window, occasionally glancing over at the alien who sat between his legs. He often found his attention diverted, caught between both.

Of course the stars and planets they passes were gorgeous. He nearly swooned when they finally flew past Neptune. But, there was just something hypnotic about Zim’s face, the swoop of his neck and how the dim lights from the control panel, it played out the different tones of green and those eyes—

Well, finally Dib managed to fall asleep, blinking slower and slower until his lids fell shut.

Dib was hopelessly enchanting in his sleep. While those burning golden eyes hid behind thin lids, his face took on its true nature, revealing the finer details that were lost in his excitement. Zim’s eyes trailed the human’s features, taking note of every crease and imperfection in his traveling companion’s face.

Long, dark eyelashes extended forward over pale cheeks, pink lips that parted softly. Lips with captivating curves. They were slightly chapped from being chewed excessively, and it didn’t help that they never got a rest; always moving with new questions and endless jabbering. Jet black hair remained untamed atop Dib’s head, sticking out in all directions with the exception of that ever present cow-lick.

Yes, Dib was fascinating, and Zim couldn’t deny it. He had risked everything for this creature, after all. Zim knew that even though he wasn’t planning on giving up his mission, just talking about it as if he were going to keep his word was risky.

But, Zim had always been selfish; he took what he wanted and almost never truly needed a reason behind his actions other than he just simply wanted it. He had gotten by on this policy, and it hadn’t steered him wrong, yet. Only on rare occasions did he do something for somebody other than himself, and that was mostly for his Tallest, of course.

And he tossed every explanation around in his mind, and they all made sense to him; Dib was the only being on his planet worth saving, the only one that seemed to challenge him. He was interesting to Zim in a petty sort of way, and he showed potential to the Irken Empire. With some proper training, of course. Or maybe it was much simpler than all that; maybe he just wanted a slave. Dib had proven naïve enough to hang on to every one of Zim’s words as if it was law, and in a way naivety was just a glorified form of obedience.

But Zim decided not to question himself too much, he had never led himself astray or let himself down before. He thought it best just to trust his instincts, and felt a bit better when he did, finally allowing himself to relax and slump down into a more comfortable position. He rested his head against the human’s soft belly and allowed himself a nap.


	9. Foodcourtia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim sat for a bit, staring out the window as Dib lay down beside him. His eyes darted about the varies flickering signs of the planet, letting the lights blend together to form a horrendously odd color as he stared. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was getting into something that was bigger than himself; like he was getting in way over his head. But that was nonsense, surely, as there wasn’t anything the almighty Zim couldn’t handle. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super duper long chapter because I didn't get to post last weekend due to several horrid factors. I hope you enjoy the kissing and relationship talk.

Foodcourtia buzzed with life, as always. Ships of all shapes and sizes swarmed the planet’s atmosphere, lights and signs flickering, seducing the pilots with promise of savory snacks and rare eatable delights. And although there was no sound to be heard in space, the sheer sight of the planet seemed, in a sense, noisy.

The tiny Voot Cruiser, with its mere two passengers, navigated easily between the other ships, passing them by swiftly but not without caution. Entering the planet’s atmosphere was the trickiest part, but once they cleared the signs, landing platforms were easily spotted and orderly paths lead them to their destination without protest from the Voot.

Zim hopped out eagerly, his boots hitting the hard platform with a dull thud. A long stretch resulted in satisfactory joint pops and a relieved sigh. Once the human was clear of the vessel, a beam of pink light washed over the Cruiser, and after a few delayed moments, the Cruiser was scanned and processed and was gone in a flash.  
Zim seemed unbothered, albeit a bit groggy from the trip.

“Now,” He said, looking around. “Let’s get off the platform before we get squished, and find you something your bottomless pit of a digestive system can handle.” He tugged at the human’s sleeve and lead him off the platform where a much larger ship landed only moments after.

Dib walked while stretching, fighting against the aches and pain that came from sitting still for days on end in a tiny space with a bony irken on your lap. He figured that if his stomach were full with food he’d been even more excited but that seemed hard to imagine at the current moment. This was the first planet he’d ever been on besides earth and everything was fabulous. His stomach grumbled angrily but, oh wow look the voot crusier just like got transported somewhere! And look at all the different kinds of aliens!

The ground of the planet buzzed with as much life, if not more, as the space surrounding it. Creatures from all wakes of the universe passed each other on foot, murmuring and squawking excitedly. The various food buildings and stalls loomed over them from every direction save where the platform was seated.

Zim took a moment to take in the sight, before turning to his taller counterpart. “See anything that piques your interest?” Which was a dumb question on his part; of course there would be.

A grin was stretched so wide on Dib’s face, it kind of hurt. But, at Zim’s question he looked around, clueless. He of course couldn’t read any of the signs. But, luckily there were tons of pictures. Everything did look delicious. Well, except for some sort of squirmy thing.

“Lots of things. Do you have any suggestions? Because I’m pretty much about ready to try anything.” They walked together, side by side and Dib didn’t even notice as their arms brushed. It came from being in such close contact for nearly a week. However, other aliens did.

Irkens weren’t uncommon on Foodcourtia but, they were still wary of them. Irkens were violent and prone to outbursts it. So, as they walked, people avoided them, walking around them.

Which Zim took as a compliment, naturally. He marched proudly through the crowd, not bothering to acknowledge the aliens and their wary expressions. He looked up at his travelling companion, taking in his obviously excited expression. The human’s face was stretched so wide in a grin that Zim thought his face might tear at any moment. What was so exciting about Foodcourtia, anyway? This place was a dump, albeit the biggest eatery in the galaxy. A collection of the galaxy’s scum in one place.

Zim let out a small hum as he looked around, looking for something that even he could stomach. His eyes met the large, familiar sign and his guts turned. “Shloogorg’s” flashed bright, neon lights across the crowd as a sign of impending disaster. The Irken fidgeted under the memories of that short, yet horrible time he had spent at that fast food restaurant.

“I think there is a decent place over here.” Zim stated in a nearly panicked tone, grabbing at the human’s sleeve and dragging him in a bee line away from Shloogorg’s. With little hesitation, he darted into a nearby building, not caring anymore where they ate, just as long as it was away from those horrible memories. “Alright, this place looks good. Just pick something off the menu.” Zim said, pointing up at the colorful board hung above the counter.

Various patrons looked at the two with unease, not recognizing the taller male who accompanied the loud Irken as any species they had seen before. Low murmurs floated around the air of the pastel colored room as eyes dared a glimpse of the odd pair. As always, Zim didn’t seem to mind or notice.

Dib noticed. He saw how all the different kinds of aliens were throwing them strange glances and whispering in their languages. He figured it was because they had never seen someone like him before and turned to look up at the menu. Lucky for him there were no words. Just pictures of each of the food items which he surveyed. There was something that looked vaguely like mac and cheese. Huh.

“What do you think of that one?” He asked, pointing at it. “Oh and I hope you’re paying for this because I have no money.”

Zim waved a hand through the air to dismiss the human’s words. He wasn’t worried about money; he had a plan. “Yes, that’s fine.” Zim answered half mindedly, not bothering to look at what the boy was pointing at. “Make sure to get enough to last for the remainder of the trip.” He reminded, stepping towards the counter as the line shortened. He didn’t much care for anything on this particular menu, but at this moment he figured that was the least of his worries.

“Actually, let’s just get some of everything. I know it will hardly matter to your inferior gullet, but just in case.” If Dib could scarf down anything on Earth, there was no doubt he’d be able to swallow anything the universe could throw at him. But he was still a universally unknown creature; there hadn’t been a lot of exposure to what humans could and could not eat.And it was only a moment later before they were at the counter, being yelled at to order something by a greasy alien that sported a strange dialect.

“Yes, we’ll just take some over everything. And make it snappy; we are sort of in a hurry, here!” Zim commanded. He got a skeptical look in return from the alien at the register, but no other protests. Zim ducked out of line and pulled the human down to his level by his shoulder.

“Ok, listen,” The Invader whispered. “You’ll have to be fast, and you’ll need to stay close to me. Just grab what your lanky arms can and follow my lead, understand?” Without waiting for Dib to respond, he released him and leaned against the counter, mentally mapping out an escape route while trying his best to remain inconspicuous.

Regardless of the large order, it only took them a few minutes to fill it out and the alien behind the register was carrying out the bags of food, piping hot. Zim gave Dib a small nod and motioned for the human to get the food. Once he was sure the he had as much as he could fit in his arms, Zim scooped up as much as he could grab as well, unfortunately leaving a few stray bags behind.

“Ok, go!” Zim snapped the order and he was bolting out the door like a bat out of hell, anybody unfortunate enough to be in his path was knocked out of the way.  
“What?!” Dib gasped but, then the moment to act arrived, and it was filled with stolen food and running. Instinct took over and he obeyed orders, stuffing his arms full of the bags and taking off after his companion, unable to stop fearful laughter from bubbling up in his throat.

Of course Zim didn’t have any money! He was on Earth for who knows how long, and it wasn’t like Invaders were having cash thrown at their feet. Or at least, Zim wasn’t getting cash thrown at his feet. As he understood it, you got paid on your completion of a mission. Basically--no planet, no cash.

So, it wasn’t Zim’s finest moment, bursting out of that restaurant’s doors, arms full of stolen food with various shouts and gasps trailing after him. But like he had said time and time before, one did what he needed to in order to survive. Although, in this case it could be argued that Zim wasn’t even doing this for his own survival. But of course this wasn’t something that was on the forefront of his mind at the moment.He only hoped that the human was keeping up as he sprinted down the plaza of confused and surprised aliens.

So, there he was. Who knows how far from Earth, sprinting through a huge crowd after an alien on a strange planet, arms filled with even stranger food and cackling about it. This was crazy, insane and wonderful.

The Irken ducked into an alley way and Dib followed his lead, skidding to a stop, panting beside him. His eyes were impossibly wide behind his glasses and he had to put the food down because he was still laughing. “O-oh my god.” Several guards(at least that’s what he thought they were) ran past the alley way and Dib collapsed against the nearest wall.

He could feel his asthma starting to take its toll but, holy crap that was awesome. “I’ve never…”Gasp. “Done something so,” Giggle. “Stupid in my entire life.” Gosh, his face kind of hurt a little bit. Was that normal? He glanced at Zim and his grin increased. The alien seemed hardly out of breath, standing under the shadows cast by the high wall against the thousands of bright, neon signs.

Zim set the bags down and pressed himself closer to the wall, scooting to the corner and peeking out to see if they had successfully evaded their pursuers. He snapped his head towards the sputtering human to order him to keep quiet, but was stalled by the look on his face. He looked insanely….giddy about the whole situation, and that was not at all what Zim had expected.

“W-we just,” Dib made his fingers do a little run while he had his other hand on his knee, bending over to breathe better. “took off and their faces were just—“ Dib snorted again.  
Dib’s face was bright as he wheezed, bent over, laughing and trying to get a coherent sentence out. And while Zim should have known better; the human’s excitement seemed contagious, and Zim couldn’t help but laugh.

The situation wasn’t funny in the slightest, but the idea that Dib seemed to think so WAS. The alley echoed to life with the sound of their spastic laughter. The Irken relaxed a bit against the wall and took a deep breath, watching the Dib creature continue to wheeze and cough.

“What’s wrong,” The ‘this time’ hung at the end of his almost worried inquiry as Zim approached him. Was the excitement too much for the human’s weak heart? Maybe Dib was more frail than Zim had anticipated.

Dib’s laughter faded into a few chuckles here and there. He hadn’t laughed in…forever it felt like. Maybe that was why it had gone on for so long. He gasped in air and shook his head, taking deep breaths until the majority of it seemed under control. It would hurt for a while to breathe but, it would be okay for now.

“Nothing. I just had asthma as a kid. Seems a hint of it is still there.” Go figure it would turn up now, he thought sliding down the wall and looking at their spoils, digging through the bags curiously. There was everything from hot dog like things to squiggly, _alive_ looking tentacles in a little container. Dib’s nose wrinkled. Weird. Oh hey, water bottles. Neat.

And something that reminded him of a churro. Dib licked his lips, deciding he would eat that first when he got the chance. “So, are we staying here for the night? Because honestly, I’m worried about Earth and all but my back and legs are killing me.”

Zim scrutinized the human a bit, his brow furrowed and his lips pursed in thought. Asthma? Whatever it was, it didn’t sound pleasant. Was it a disease? Was it contagious? Zim doubted it, but he still cringed a bit. If it was something that was going to cause problems, Zim would have to find a way around it, somehow. He had made it this far, he was pretty much committed to it now. Whatever IT was.

Zim tapped one of the bag with his foot, causing the contents to squirm a bit in protest, but it was easy to tell that whatever was in the bag was losing its luster. They’d have to eat it soon before it went bad, Zim decided.

“If we must,” The Invader groaned. “But honestly the living quarters on this planet leave something to be desired.” He peeked around the corner again. It was clear now that whoever was looking for them had since given up. Fast food wasn’t worth fighting an Irken over, it seemed. He had to admit to himself that a few hours rest might do them both good. Zim’s neck ached a bit from the awkward tilt that came with sitting on a taller male’s lap in a confined space.

“Alright. We better get moving before we get spotted hanging around this filthy alley way.” Zim grunted before scooping up the bags once more. He waited for Dib to get his bearings before leading the way through the crowd.

The living quarters stationed on foodcourtia were mainly used for the Foodening, when people would be stuck here for twenty years. Though the quarters were open all the time, regardless, they were hardly ever used. And for good reason. The buildings were notably different than the majority of the restaurants that occupied the surface of the planet. They seemed more run down and out of repair, the dull colors peeling and metal rusting.

Usually one would have to pay a fee in order to use one of the quarters, but due to the inactivity there was a lack of security roaming about. Zim was able to scale a wall of the outside building using his PAK legs and knock a window loose. Once he dumped off his half of the loot, he went back and carried Dib up the wall and into the room.

It was strange how Zim was already so used to being in close proximity to the human.  
The room was dim, the only light coming from the open window. The light coming from the neon signs only barely illuminated the egg shaped sleeping platform.

“Alright, this will have to do.” Zim huffed in reluctant acceptance.

Dib still kind of freaked out about being carried up a wall but, this time he was more prepared for the sensation and actually kind of enjoyed staring at the scenery. He didn’t want to admit that he was seriously starting to trust Zim. But, then again hadn’t he trusted him from nearly the beginning? Still, this felt different. More…personal? Yeah, let’s go with that.

Turning around to stare at the rundown place, he let out a low whistle and smirked, going over and laying down on the bed thing. It was comfortable enough, lined with a soft, plushy padding. There were tons of different kinds of buttons on the side of it. He wanted to press them all but who knows what would happen if he did so he restrained himself. Or at least distracted himself by finally opening up the bag and grabbing that churro like thing and chewing on it thoughtfully. It was delicious and Dib’s eyes slipped closed.

Real food. Something besides chips. He licked the grains of sugar and cinnamon (he thought that’s what it was) and hummed happily. Really he was in a fantastic mood, the threat of the Empire, hanging above his head, was kept at bay at this current moment in time.

Once most of the churro was gone, he explored the rest of the bags and tried some of that noodle stuff, coated in cheese. Or whatever it was. That's what he imagined it had to be. It tasted different but was still nice. Half way through he glanced up at Zim and gestured to the bags. “Thanks for all of this…kind of. We did steal it. But, you did get it for me so…yeah.” He nodded awkwardly, slurping down a noodle. “You should eat something too…do Irkens eat?”

“When the mood strikes us.” Zim answered, though he seemed slightly far away as he examined the room. He marched over to one of the sleeping platform and slumped down into the padding. It would have been a lie if he said he didn’t feel drained. He looked around at the sea of paper bags before finally grabbing one and peering inside. His eyes lit up when he found something of interest and pulled out a small box.

“I didn’t even see these on the menu.” He mused to himself, popping the box open to reveal the treasures inside. They were golden brown, and slightly resembled tater-tots, aside from their strange shape and texture. He popped one into his mouth and his eyes rolled shut. It had been too long since he had the opportunity to partake in food that was actually _edible_. He had eaten plenty of human food to keep up appearances, and of course the few snacks he had in his base. It was nice to finally get some actual sustenance.

He ate the strange delights eagerly, only stopping when the box was empty and back in the bag. After a moment of savoring the flavor, he turned his head to look at the human, who seemed to be enjoying his own treats.

“How does it compare?” He asked with a small smirk.

Dib watched the alien eat curiously, wondering what the things were before glancing down at his own food at the question. He scoffed, taking another hearty bite and talking with his mouth full which was a gross thing to do but, it felt right in the moment. “No contest.” Chew and swallow. “Although most of the food back home looks like some of this stuff, everything tastes much better. I wonder why.” Another bite as he pondered the question, chewing. “Because it’s space food. Made by aliens. My gosh. There are aliens and I’m sitting on a sleep pod…thing.” Dib was seriously near to exploding. He wanted to jump up and down excitedly but, he also wanted to eat.

“This is too cool.” He cracked open a bottle that said H2O in big letters and downed nearly half the bottle. Guess he wasn’t the only creature to drink it. That was a nice thought and also really convenient. Dib turned to glance at Zim and in the dim light he could easily see the Irken’s bruise that was nearly done healing. It was just a bit darker than the rest of his skin.

“Oh yeah. You can punch me now if you like.”

The thought tickled Zim and he couldn’t help but smirk, his magenta eyes glowing in the dim light dangerously. He sat up and leaned forward a bit, resting his hands on his knees. To say that he wouldn’t like punching that smug, happy face would be a lie. He owed him, after all. And even though Dib had agreed to come in the first place, he was still way too happy about being thrown into a whole new world filled with unfamiliar creatures and places.

“I don’t know,” Zim said slowly, bringing a hand up to tap on his chin thoughtfully. “You aren’t going to kiss me again, are you?” His tone was teasing, but it was a legitimate question. Maybe kissing was a natural reaction to danger. Zim didn’t know, of course, but it did seem pretty effective.

The bottle made a clicking sound as Dib finished the last of it and the plastic squished around his fingers, he dropped it into the bag and turned fully on the bed towards Zim, glancing up and being taken aback by a dangerous glimmer he saw there. It sent a shiver up his spine, reminding him of a lion seizing up its prey.

Dib lifted his chin though and smirked, knowing it would hurt. But, he owed Zim. He wasn’t a violent person. Of course, he wouldn’t let himself get pushed around either. But, it seemed like the right thing to do. Regain some trust. Or something. “I’m not going to kiss you. Again.” _‘Maybe.’_ His traitorous mind whispered and Dib scowled, throwing his hands to the edges of the bed.

Zim pushed himself off the bed, standing over Dib as he prepared himself to get hit. Zim scoffed at the sight, but his gut turned a bit as well. Why was Dib doing this, what did he think he would gain from it? Zim would have completely forgotten, so why did the human feel the need to remind him?

“Take off your lenses, first.” Zim ordered. He didn’t want to end up breaking them; Dib would be useless if he wouldn’t even be able to see. He watched the human peel the lenses off, obviously hesitant about being visually impaired, especially since he was about to get hit.His hand reached up and touched the tender skin of his poor cheek, as if to channel the rage he had felt when Dib had stricken him. Even then, everything about this was still absurd. Not that Zim was complaining, entirely.

He reeled his fist back, readying himself. “This is going to hurt,” He warned. And then only a moment of hesitation before he swung. He didn’t mean to, but he found himself holding back a bit. Quite a bit. It was probably the impromptu way it had been brought up. His fist made contact with Dib’s jaw with a solid WHAP, his glove slapping against the human’s skin.

“There,” Zim huffed. “We’re even now.”

Dib went reeling to the side, falling sideways on the pod. It had hurt, yes. He was sure he’d have his own bruise. But, it had not hurt the way he’d expected it to. Dib had been expecting little black spots to wink, stars to dance above his head. Right now all he felt was the pain and of course irritation which was irrational because he’d let it happen.

Something about Zim’s expression before it happened…hesitation? Huh. The human sat up with a groan and rubbed his cheek. “Good one.” Even indeed. A little bit of guilt eased even though it was a bit dampened with the ache in his face. Now that was over with…he put his glasses back on and blinked everything into focus again, staring up at Zim with pained grin.

Zim twitched, his antennae perking up at the sight; Dib grinning up at him like he was proud of something. Maybe not proud…but there was a bit of accomplishment in that look. Zim didn’t know why that bothered him so much—maybe he just wasn’t expecting it. Then again he didn’t know what he was expecting in the first place. Things with Dib, he was slowly learning, never went exactly how he expected. His gut turned again.  
The Irken waved his hands around in exasperation.

“Why are you smiling? You just got punched in the face!”

Dib raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I did. Thanks for reminding me.” He shrugged and stared right back at the irken. “I’m smiling because I did it. I let you punch me in the face and because we’re even now. I like being even with people. No debts or trust issues.”

Nodding, he stood up, blinking when he nearly stumbled but caught himself on the edge of the bed. Maybe that hit had been harder than he’d expected.Not only that but, they were suddenly quite close. Not that he really noticed all that much. They’d been close for nearly a week.

Yeah, because Zim was the shining example of someone that could be trusted. Zim’s brow furrowed a bit; this creature was even more naive that he had previously thought.  
The human stumbled and Zim held up his claws, prepared to catch him out of instinct.

“Well, then, you’re an idiot. Why be even with someone when it means getting punched in the face? And what are you stumbling for; I didn’t even hit you that hard.” Zim grumbled. He hardly noticed the closeness they shared—after sitting on Dib’s lap for a week, this was nothing.

Dib poked Zim in the chest. “Ah-hah! You _did_ hold back!” He searched the alien’s eyes, mystified by the incredible foray of colors he found there. For some reason he found it nessacary to learn how to read the Irken. Maybe it was because they would be married. Or Unionized. Bluh. Maybe because he knew that Zim was his greatest ally. Or maybe it was because Dib was crazy. “How come? I could’ve taken it you know?” Though Dib was sort of grateful, it didn’t seem all that fair.

Zim sputtered at the accusation. Looked down at his chest, where he had been poked, then back up at the taller male. He straightened his spine, puffing his chest out which did him little good; he was still short. “Maybe it was because you didn’t punch _me_ that hard! If you could even call that a punch!” He defended, maybe a bit louder than necessary.

From here, though, he could see a nice bruise forming along the human’s jaw line. Absentmindedly, a gloved hand moved up and softly traced the damaged skin.

“And anyway, it did the trick; we have matching wounds.” His eye dragged away from the bruise and snapped into focus with Dib’s. Magenta jewels meeting amber orbs. He could see those golden eyes trying to read him, trying to learn even more about him than he already had. Obsessing over him. Not that Zim was complaining. His chest tightened and he withdrew his hand a bit, letting hover awkwardly between them, suddenly feeling unsure.

Dib felt like he should argue that he’d put everything he had into that punch and that he wasn’t exactly an alien with crazy strength but, all of that seemed to fly out the window when the same hand that had punched him, reached up and gently caressed the bruise forming. Zim withdrew his hand and Dib could see a question there. He had about a billion of them himself.

However, the only one that really stood out was, Should I kiss him now? Dib tilted his head to the side, contemplating it before slowly bowing his head, eyes on Zim’s, giving him the chance to push him away. You can stop me, he said mentally. They were inches away, the alien’s breath brushing his lips.

Zim’s head tilted in the opposite direction, almost for the same reason. He wondered if this was something he should be letting himself do. This wasn’t exactly what he had planned when he took Dib with him, and once again he found himself mentally slapping himself for expecting anything to go smoothly with this creature.

But, Dib was getting closer now, and it was getting harder to think rationally. His breath was against Zim’s lips, warm and sweet from whatever he had been eating before. His own breathing felt labored as everything in his body seemed to be churning and pumping all at once. Everything was slowing down, but it still seemed to be happening too fast.

Zim’s eyes went half lidded as he watched Dib’s lips. Until finally Zim closed the gap between them; mashing their lips together softly at first, but leaning into the kiss eagerly after a moment of surrealism. Gloved hands slid over the human’s shoulders and brought the two closer.

It felt like Dib was overheating, his heart thumping loudly in his ears. His lids slid shut at the first contact and the world was muffled. The sounds from outside; people talking, cabs honking, the sound of a million orders being called out…gone. But, he could hear his own breathing and the tiny ones that Zim took in between slight kisses, lips parting. Unlike their first one, this wasn’t going fast or hard.

Dib reached out, searching for a grip, needing something and he took Zim’s hips in his hands, dragging him as close as possible. A soft nip to a jade lip, a soft kiss pressed to the corner of that mouth. He tasted sweet. Whether that was Zim’s natural flavor or because of his food from earlier, Dib didn’t know.

Zim took a step closer, his boots bumping the sides of Dib’s as he did so. A small gasp as he broke the kiss, getting a small nip in return. Zim’s face was thoroughly flushed by this point, and his whole body felt as though it might melt under the human’s touch, their combined body heat almost being too much. Almost. He wanted to find out how much he could take; how hot they could get before melting completely.

Jade lips trailed over the soft, bruised skin of Dib’s jaw, planting soft kisses along the darkening wound. A dark pink tongue flicked out to taste as Zim continued moving, making his way down the exposed flesh of the taller male’s neck.

Irk, Dib tasted good. Better than he had expected. Zim was ready to give up all expectations when it came to Dib, at this point. His skin was salty at first, but as Zim licked and suckled, the more the saltiness faded into something sweet. It was difficult to describe—he had never tasted anything quite like it. It was exotic and wonderful. He couldn’t help but groan softly into the human’s neck.

Distantly, Dib could hear himself gasping and panting at each touch, kiss and caress. He leaned his head back to give Zim as much access to his throat as possible, thinking that maybe the dark spots were kicking in late because they danced before his vision. It was hot. The heat was unbearable but, delicious.

Dib pulled away, reaching up and cupping Zim’s chin, returning the favor and lightly passing his lips over the fading bruise, slipping down his cheek and dropping a kiss on the corner of his mouth. His hands felt unsteady, shaking as they slid under the alien’s tunic, pushing it upwards and letting his thumb slide across bare skin; warm and soft, softer than he’d imagined any being’s could be.

He opened his eyes and stared into the heavy lidded ones before him. They shone brighter than they had before, glowing. Maybe it was the darkness of their room or the desire that swirled in them. They’d darkened in color, twin rubies with a faraway look to them. With a soft groan, Dib slammed his mouth down on Zim’s again, harder, faster, rougher as frantic urges rocked him.

A fire built up in Zim that the human sparked and fed with each hungry kiss. It engulfed him from the inside out and he didn’t want it to ever stop. He shuddered at the feel of Dib’s hand trailing softly against his sensitive sides and belly, a shaky gasp breaking the fierce kiss. He panted softly against those lips, trying desperately to catch his breath, only to give up and slam their mouths together again.

Zim’s hands snaked their way down Dib’s heaving chest and belly, until finally finding the end of his shirt. Following a deep seeded urge, Zim parted from the eager human to lift his shirt up and get a glimpse of that heated skin. He smirked a bit at Dib’s flushed face, those heavy lids over burning golden eyes. Burning with an intensity that was new to Zim, but he figured this was something he could get used to.

He opened his mouth the say same thing, but found himself sputtering as his foot landed and slid on one of the many paper bags thrown about half-hazardly. His foot slid forward and swung out from underneath him.

A flash of red as his skull hit the floor with a loud, solid THUD! Zim lay on the floor, a pained grimace on his face as he dared not open his eyes, hoping that what just happened didn’t really just happen. But the warmth that came trickling down the back of his neck, and the dull ache that ebbed through his whole head confirmed that it did, in fact, just happen.

Dib’s hands were suddenly empty and his eyes flashed open, stepping forward instinctively to catch Zim and then something rolled under his foot, probably one of the water bottles and then he was falling too. The bags made a collective crunching sound as he flopped next to the Irken with a startled yell. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt but the shock had him giggling. The adrenaline had gotten to his head. They’d been making out and now they were on the floor. Shaking his head free of the cobwebs, he glanced over at Zim who was spread on the floor and smiled. “Oops.”

Zim groaned and chanced a glance at the human, who was smiling and Zim wished he had punched him harder all of a sudden. “Yeah, oops.” He said in a tight, pained voice. Gingerly, he lifted himself up, bringing a hand to the back of his head. “Wretched…food.” He cursed lowly as he brought his hand back into view, grimacing at the warm, light pink substance that he found there. “Great...” He groaned again, feeling another wave of dull pain wash crash over him as he sat up.

Embarrassment rippled through him. Sure, Dib was obviously not sporting much grace, himself, but then again Dib wasn’t representing his entire race. Dib wasn’t a trained Invader. “Ah, look at all this ruined food.” Zim grumbled, trying his best to take the focus off the fact that he had tripped on a bag and was now bleeding because of it. “Good going.”

Dib brushed himself off, ready to make a sarcastic comment when his eyes flickered to Zim’s hand and the faint smear of pink on the black rubber. A quick deduction and his lips formed an ‘oh’ before he stood up, brows furrowed. “You’re bleeding. I know basic first aid. I just don’t know if that would work for Irkens.” He was…worried, but he knew that Zim was okay. Head wounds bled a lot. Or at least on humans. But, the sight of his blood was enough to make Dib’s stomach twist.

Hoping over the bags he dug in what was kind of like a bedside table, rummaging before pulling out a little white box which, after a closer inspection, had bandage like things, a needle and thread, some weird sort of blue goo that had the name ‘Huglo’ across it in big, bold letters. But, it was apparently nessacary enough to be added to a basic first aid kit so Dib kept it.

Zim groaned and attempted to wipe the blood away, effectively smearing the pink fluid against the back of his scalp as more only replaced what he had wiped away. He looked up at the human, who seemed rather panicked by the sight of blood, as he rummaged around. He seemed a bit confused at the contents of the first aid kit, which only unsettled Zim.

“Don’t worry about it,” He dismissed as he pushed himself off the floor, causing his head to swim a bit. He had an unsure moment before finally regaining his balance, standing with his knees together to keep him steady. “Just a bump. Besides, I don’t need you making it any worse.”

Dib set his jaw and turned back around to respond just in time to see the Irken wobble a bit, eyes going a smidgen unfocused. An eyebrow rose, as he ignored Zim, wrapping his fingers around his elbow and gently pushing/pulling him down to the sleeping pod thing. “Oh? How could I _possibly_ make it worse?”

Walking around to the other side of the pod to see the back of Zim’s head, he winced. It wasn’t that bad. It wouldn’t need stitches. But, there was quite a bit of blood. A very strange, translucent sort of pink. It was kind of pretty. In the way that it stood out starkly. Hesitantly, Dib reached out and smeared some of the stuff on his finger. It felt like normal blood. But, lighter and cooler, his skin tingled softly.Flipping through the first aid kit, he snatched a large enough bandage from the little pile and quickly undid the packaging.

“I’m sure you’d find a way.” Zim mumbled as he plopped down on the bed, crossing his arms over his chest. His feelers pressed themselves against his scalp as he seethed in his own embarrassment. He had fumbled around like an idiot, and was now being patched up by this human. How had he let things come to this? It was hard to keep the events straight in his head; everything since he met Dib seemed to blend together.The Invader huffed obnoxiously. “Irkens are fast healers, I wouldn’t worry about it if I were you.”

“Yeah well, I already have the bandage out so, deal with it.” Unconsciously gentle, Dib slowly smoothed the adhesive medical strip over the alien’s leaking wound. Then he dug in the kit for a moist towlette, ripping it open and swiping at the drying blood around the bandage.

As he worked, the haze around his brain began to clear and Dib realized that Zim had gotten this injury when he’d stepped forward to get a better angle for their kiss.  
A shiver ran up his spine. This one had not been in self defense. Wadding the little towel into a ball along with the bandage wrapper and threw it at the trash can. Of course his aim had never been good so it was totally off. Oh well.

Dib stepped away, running a hand down the back of his neck. “There. That’s good for now.” Should he bring it up? Or let it fade? Both seemed like daunting tasks.

Zim grumbled, as unappreciative as one being could be, and turned to face the human. He fingered the bandage as it clung to his skin obnoxiously. He always hated bandages; they were unnecessary and annoying. His eyes met the human’s and it was clear that there was something just under the surface that had him troubled. His golden eyes really were a window to the boy’s mind; the tricky part was being able to decipher just what each specific glimmer meant.

Zim’s brow furrowed in annoyance. What was he upset about, now? Wasn’t this his dream? Wasn’t everything to his liking? “What is it?” Zim barked.

“Huh?” Dib asked, coming back from his own musings, staring at Zim for a second before frowning and shaking his head. “It’s nothing. I’m just..” Well, this was as good enough time as any. Get everything out now before being trapped in the voot cruiser. Although, he would’ve expected it to be awkward. In fact, after the first time he’d been counting on it.

Hey…come to think of it, even when they’d first met, trapped inside that giant glass cube that now felt so far away…it had never been awkward. Odd. “Thinking. The first time we...kissed was in self defense.” A story they were sticking to apparently. “This time, well this time was not.” Dib moved his gaze from where it had fallen to the floor back up to Zim’s eyes. “And I don’t know what that means.”

The corners of Zim’s mouth tugged downward, taken aback by this realization. He had let Dib kiss him, hell even invited him to do so, but what did it mean exactly? Just like everything that had happened since he had met Dib, he wasn’t quite clear of his own motives. Though it would be a lie to say that he didn’t enjoy it. He looked down and picked at the fabric he was sitting on, trying to seem disinterested.

Did it have to mean anything? Zim wanted to say no, but he knew that would be a lie, as well. “Why? Did you not enjoy it, Dib-creature?”

Dib had. Enjoyed it that is. His heart had been beating so fast, the blood rushing in his ears. Zim was so close and there had only been one real option. Dib licked his lips, swearing he could still taste how sweet the irken was. Damn it, he was looking at the floor again. “I…well, I’m not sure if it I matters if I enjoyed it…just that it happened.”  
Then a thought occurred to him. “D-did you enjoy it?” It seemed like Zim had. He’d leaned in too, gave as good as he got.

Zim shifted a bit on the bed, his eyes darting around the room as he tried desperately not to make eye contact. His jaw set and he let out a small groan. Of course he enjoyed it; wasn’t it obvious? What did Dib get out of this by making Zim squirm? He continued to pick at the material of the covers until he managed to create a small hole. He felt dizzy, and he was sure it wasn’t because of the fresh bump on his head.

“You said it yourself; it doesn’t matter, it happened anyway.” The Invader grumbled after clearing his throat. “And anyway, it’s better than throwing punches around. The union will be much easier if we at least get along.”

There was that. Dib cleared his own throat, shoving his hands into his coat pockets and sitting on the bed, only to jump up again realizing he wouldn’t be able to keep still. “Yeah.” Shifting from foot to foot, the human bit his lip and began the questions. “So…if it’s better than throwing punches…does that mean you plan to let it happen again?” The possibilities were endless, his thoughts buzzing helplessly.

“Whenever I feel like punching you I kiss you instead?” It was…certainly better than them socking each other to keep even. Unconsciously, his fingers brushed against his cheek bone where the bruise was forming.

Zim jumped a bit when Dib lept off the bed. He seemed jittery, which only made Zim more uncomfortable. He wished the human would calm down and stop acting as nervous as Zim felt. Those golden eyes were reflecting endless questions within the teen, and Zim knew this was going to be a long night. His eyes narrowed a bit as he watched Dib touch the dark spot on his face. Zim felt a little proud that he had hit him hard enough to leave a mark, regardless of him holding back. “That would be….preferable. Unless you WANT Zim to punch you.”

Dib blinked and made a face in response to the Irken’s statement, fighting the urge to flip him off because Zim would probably not understand it. “I was the one who punched you. I _let_ you punch me.” He reminded, feeling suddenly exhausted and looking around the room at all the food. There was no fridge in here so hopefully most of this stuff would hold until they could eat it/get it into the voot. Yawning, he slipped off his trench coat and folded it, laying it on top of the pod’s light.

Zim’s eyes shimmered as they rolled. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, but was otherwise quiet for the time being. The human’s face scrunched up at Zim’s statement, which was an odd thing for him to do. Maybe it was because Dib was finally becoming comfortable enough to show a more defiant side of himself, not to say that Dib was ever really accommodating. Regardless, it was interesting how emotions seemed to play out on the human’s face, and Zim couldn’t help but mimic them. “Does that bother you?” He finally asked, still not moving from his spot on the pod.

The human unbuckled his pants and let them fall to the floor, kicking out of them, as well as his boots before flopping onto the pod and staring straight ahead, thinking. “Does what bother me? That I let you punch me? That you want to kiss me instead of punch me? Or that we’re still talking about this?”

Okay, that last part was just him being stubborn. But, Dib found it was difficult not to be when Zim was already so hot headed. He had to hold his ground somehow. Plus, holy hell, he was confused. Feelings were not really something he dealt with often considering he’d grown up with nothing but, science and rage in his household, so the thought of trying to sift through the ones he had inside of him now…was a daunting idea.

There was confusion, want, frustration, determination, hate and…lust? And tons of other things. It was a practical cess pool of emotions and Dib was unsure what to do with them all. His fallback was thinking. If you didn’t know how to do something…figure it out. Take a second to breathe and think of a solution.

Zim shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was when the human began undressing in front of him. They had spent nearly a week sitting on each other; of course the barriers of what was ok and not ok were going to be weak and blurry. And it didn’t help that Dib had tried to undress Zim a bit today as well. Zim huffed and crossed his arms over his chest as Dib plopped down on the bed, causing the small alien to bounce a bit.

“Kissing, of course.” Zim said, adjusting his position on the bed to look at Dib. “I don’t care if Zim punching you bothered you; you were the one who let me do it. And you are the one who asked these questions, in the first place. Aren’t you the nosy one who wants answers to everything?”

Dib groaned and closed his eyes. But, he swore he could still feel Zim’s magenta gaze all over him, analyzing everything. “I…I don’t know. Yeah I’m the nosy one, I guess.” He turned on his side, away from Zim, facing the wall. The window’s lights and shadows played over the white plaster.

“It’s just…everything is just…so sudden.” He flinched because it sounded like a cliché old movie where the hero asked the damsel to marry him and she swooned because it was ‘so sudden’. “We meet. I realize I need to save you. I don’t know why, but I do. I do whatever it takes and that means locking myself in that cube. And it isn’t awkward. Which is weird because I’m like the most awkward human being ever.” Dib flailed his hands a little even though he was sure Zim couldn’t see.

“Then I find out this whole time you’ve been lying to me about being helpless. You’re actually like a soldier who wants to destroy earth. And then for some reason, you’re willing to marry me to try and save my planet…then we fight and then kiss. My first time punching someone. My first kiss…” It felt like he was giving everything away.

“And now, here we are. Kissing again…and I’m not sure if that means anything to you guys, but to humans it’s a decent sized deal.” Understatement; he could remember being picked on in middle skool because he hadn’t been kissed yet. “Usually when people do that, they like each other. And if they do it more than once…” It was because they were in some sort of relationship.

Zim opened his mouth to say something, but promptly clamped it shut again. What did he do with all this information? It wasn’t like Dib was telling him anything he didn’t already know; he was there for all of that. But it still felt heavy in his words; he was bringing it into light in the form of some sort of confession, and Zim wasn’t sure what to do with it. After a moment of watching the back of Dib’s head, Zim huffed a bit and slumped his shoulders.

“Kissing is an intimate act for Irkens, as well. That isn’t exclusive to you humans.” He finally admitted. “It’s not very often kissing is preformed, however, as Irken romances are rare. Even in the off chances that it does occur, it’s never publicly displayed. But this doesn’t make it less meaningful,” a brief pause. “In truth, kissing means more to Irkens than it does to humans.” Zim grumbled and leaned over, giving the moping human a soft push to make sure that he was grasping the gravity of what he was telling him.  
“So I’m not so sure you have a right to be sulking, Fool-boy.”

“’m not sulking.” Dib grumbled glaring at the wall. But, he was having some rather heavy realizations; that he had really enjoyed the kiss, that Zim had as well and that they were talking about kissing some more. Did that mean they were in something of a relationship? “I’m just thinking. It’s something I do a lot. So, you better get used to it.” Since you know they’d be married and Zim would have to deal with it.

Zim’s brow furrowed in frustration; this human was beginning to grate on his nerves. If he was going to be thinking so much, then at least he should be able to provide a coherent string of thoughts. Zim huffed a bit before turning away from the human, setting his arms on his legs. He stared into the dark room and at the bags and wrappers that littered it.  
“What are you expecting to get out of this union, Dib-creature?” He finally asked.

“Uh, my planet being saved.” That was the bare minimum at least. Who knew what else? Dib knew that he would get a ‘partner’ who was an alien, access to lots of knowledge…where would they live? Dib nibbled his bottom lip. Did Zim plan to keep him around after his planet was safe? Or would he go back to Earth?

Giving up on sleep, Dib sat up and crossed his legs, turning to Zim. “What about you, huh? What do _you_ want? Are you really doing this for me? For someone you barely know? You told me that a union is a big deal. How _big_ of a deal are we talking here?”

Zim’s expression became smooth, nearly blank. He wasn’t really expecting the human to ask him that, and he wasn’t exactly prepared for it. For a moment, the Irken said nothing. He turned back to him, eventually, to meet his gaze. “You sacrificed yourself to me for the sake of your planet, but did not consider what you would become out of our agreement. For all you know, you could become my slave. At this point, you wouldn’t have much of a choice, would you?” That had been in his through processes had it not? 

Zim’s tone was almost as smooth as his expression, until he sighed and his face retained the scowl he usually wore. “But, no, that isn’t what is to become of you. A union is more of a partnership, as it is on your planet. But it is a life changing decision. You can’t get separated, unlike on Earth. It’s a life-long commitment, and the only release is death.”

The light in the room began to distort as the mixture of neon lights became the only source of light; the sun was setting over the busy horizon of the planet. The strange lights played off the human’s face and illuminated all of his flaws—the soft lines that came from years of repressing his own desires for the sake of his father’s wishes. The light freckles that lay just underneath his shimmering eyes seemed to be darker in this light, and stood out against pale skin. Raven hair splayed out messily due to their journey, his bangs that were normally pushed back now rested against his forehead. Lenses caught and reflected the light and somehow made them beautiful, alluring even.

“What do I want out of this?” He repeated the question before turning his head away thoughtfully. “To be honest, it was more of a whim that I acted on, to bring you with me. But I think it’s starting to become clear.” He bowed his head a bit and looked down at the messy floor, wondering briefly how they were going to be able to fit all the food into the Voot when there was already such limited space.

The idea of being someone’s slave did not sit well with Dib at all, and he had no time to consider this possibility before Zim was moving on, albeit reluctantly. He spoke in a voice of reason glancing over at Dib and holding his gaze for a few seconds. Suddenly, the human felt exposed, studied. The fading sunlight from the window, gave way into night and neon flashes that played across the room, casting Zim into shadow. His face looked softer, his eyes glowing with an inward light that left Dib fascinated.

But, then the moment was over and those eyes moved away to look down at the floor. A whim. A whim, eh? Dib smirked. Great whim. But, now…”Clear. What’s coming clear?” Something good? Something bad? What was the definition of either? That Zim was deciding this was a horrible idea? _The only release is death._

Dib wouldn’t blame him for being…unsure. He himself was just beginning to realize what he was doing. Chaining himself to an alien for the rest of his life…maybe. No. He wanted Earth safe and this was the solution. A union to keep his planet. This was a more than even trade. Even if the idea made him want to hyperventilate.

Zim needed to learn to keep his mouth shut, sometimes. But this was never a trait he had grasped very well. He turned back to the human after a bit, a look of apprehension seemed to take its place there.

What was becoming clear? That he actually sort of enjoyed having Dib around, even if he was annoying and never shut up? They had spent so much time confined in a small space together; it wasn’t hard to believe that they could have become accustomed to the other’s company. But they had both been alone for the majority of their lives, was it really that simple to become attached to somebody? 

Zim didn’t like to think so. It was never his plan to actually like Dib and that much was certain. He had always seen a spark of something there that compelled him to do what he was doing now; saving him. Because in the end, that was what the invader was doing.  
  
“That we should maybe rest for the night, while we can. We start back on our journey tomorrow.” Zim dodged.

There was something there in those ethereal eyes, and Dib was getting better at reading emotions in them, that screamed at him. He fought to understand and ended up shivering a bit from the effort, from what he thought he found there; uncertainty, confusion…and before he could decode anymore Zim spoke, clumsily avoiding the topic. “Riiiight.” Dib agreed, nodding and reaching up to remove his glasses, laying them carefully on the edge of the bed and flopping down.

The sounds from outside, ships zooming, people talking, food orders up, faded with the sound of Zim’s breathing. And the fact that the alien’s breathing was becoming familiar…that it was almost soothing, scared him even as he felt his eyelids fall shut.

Zim sat for a bit, staring out the window as Dib lay down beside him. His eyes darted about the varies flickering signs of the planet, letting the lights blend together to form a horrendously odd color as he stared. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was getting into something that was bigger than himself; like he was getting in way over his head. But that was nonsense, surely, as there wasn’t anything the almighty Zim couldn’t handle. Right?

The human beside him snored softly, a sound that he had hated at first but had gotten used to in their time in the Voot. Not that it didn’t still annoy him. But that was how things seemed to be, now. He couldn’t say he ever really hated Dib, but there were aspects of him that he couldn’t stand. But these days, they just seemed to blend in with the things that made the Dib-human the person that he had seen so much potential in; the person he had taken off a doomed planet, and who he was going to marry soon. Maybe.

Zim wasn’t quite sure if that was going to happen, or if he just said that to make the human more willing to leave with him. It was getting to the point where the invader wasn’t sure where the line between truth and lie was anymore. He had been working so hard to keep the human convinced, was Zim starting to believe it himself? And what exactly was he beginning to believe? The fact that he wasn’t quite sure almost frightened him. If the great Zim frightened easily, that is.

But the thought didn’t leave him, and before he was even aware of it, he had slipped into a comfortable position next to his sleeping companion and drifted off.


	10. Escape & Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim had been injured before, sure, but nobody had ever come back for him.

Dib woke up warm. Everything was warm which was rare. Travelling in space meant that everything was nearly impossibly cold even with the ship’s heater. So, he usually had goosebumps everywhere but where Zim sat or leaned against him. This time however, he felt the heat from the tips of his toes to his eyelids.

Unfamiliar sounds of the distant rushing of Foodcourtia made Dib smile with glee. He hoped they would have time to study things a bit more before they left. Then the familiar sound of Zim’s breathing. The Irken often went into a sort of slumber when Dib slept and more often than not awoke before he did. The breathing was really close and it was only then (wow, genius aren’t you?) that he noticed why he was so warm, and why he could hear the soft whoosh of oxygen through complex organs so clearly.

Dib’s eyes shot open, immediately flickering to the alien in his arms. Zim was blurry because his glasses were on the edge of the bed and Dib held his breath to see if his sudden wakefulness would jar his companion awake. It didn’t. Zim slept on unaware of human arms that sometime during the night had reached out for warmth and companionship.

They’d found it in the alien's form. Cautiously, Dib reached one arm over and grabbed his glasses, clumsily putting them on and staring in mute awe now that he could see; yes, he’d seen Zim up close but, the alien was always moving, always talking and gesturing, making these faces of disapproval and curiosity. And during their travels he’d never seen Zim asleep for long.

Now though, the Irken’s face was still. It was almost eerie how calm he looked in comparison to the fireball he normally was. Zim’s face did make lines when he talked or smiled, grimaced or laughed. But, there was none to be seen. Perfectly smooth. Like plastic but, so much more… _real_. The sunlight’s gentle warmth played off his features as they tilted slightly towards him. Brushed over eyelids that were so thin he could almost see the ruby beneath, danced across thin, sharp cheekbones stretched over skin and glistened off hardly there lips.

Zim was so alien and he shouldn’t have been beautiful. Dib decided that he wasn’t beautiful traditionally like a flower or a rainbow. No. Zim was beautiful like a supernova, like fire eating at a forest, a dying man getting that drink of water after thirsting for it forever, a car crash in the way that everyone needed to stop and stare. Zim was like staring at the sun too long and having a permanent blue haze where you used to be able to see colors and now all you could focus on was…

Dib decided he was getting entirely too poetic and cleared his throat loudly to awaken the slumber alien. Would that even work?

Magenta eyes burst open as Dib’s chest rattled under the Irken’s head, his antennae shooting upward in surprise, hitting Dib’s face with a soft WHAP. His face was smooth other than the lines around his wide eyes, staring forward until cautiously looking up to see the familiar human.

“Oh,” Zim breathed, relaxing a bit before realization struck him. When had he fallen asleep? And more importantly, when had _this_ happened? “Oh!” He said again, more alarmed. He propped himself up a bit, getting a better view of the human’s face. He looked much better now that he had seemed to get an adequate amount of sleep. Believe it or not, but it was a bit difficult to get the rest you needed in a crammed spaceship. Zim hadn’t really noticed the dark rings under his eyes until they were gone.

And he didn’t realize how warm he was until his had lifted himself from the human below him. He already knew the human was an effective space-heater, but without the cold of space to counter the human’s body heat, it was almost too much. He felt warm all over, and it came in small waves that rushed from his cheeks, down his neck and back, to his toes and back again.

Zim cleared his throat. “You look like you slept well.” He stated, trying desperately to dispel the awkwardness of their situation.

“Oh.” Dib responded agreeing, rubbing at bit at his cheek where the antenna had smacked it. It hadn’t really hurt but, there was a…sharpness to the movement. It almost made him want to giggle but, he suppressed it. The alien was obviously surprised, which was understandable.

Eyes wide, mouth in a little ‘o’ as he tried to work out what was happening. It was…cute. Was that the word? Maybe. Whatever. Dib felt a bit fuzzy inside, glancing down at the alien’s mouth and he had a strong desire to lean over into Zim’s personal space and—  
_‘You look like you slept well.’_ “Oh…Yeah. I did. Warmly and for the first time in days I got to stretch out properly so…yay. And uh, you? You slept well?” Dib dropped his hand from his cheek.

Zim studied Dib’s face for a bit before nodding a bit.

“Irkens don’t require sleep, but sometimes we do, regardless.” He shrugged a bit. “So whether or not I slept well doesn’t matter.” But it was much better than sleeping in the Voot. And he wasn’t going to pretend that sleeping so close to the human wasn’t enjoyable. Or maybe he would. He rubbed at the back of his neck. “Is there anything you need to do before we are ready to leave?” He asked, looking around the room once more at all the food. It was going to be fun being stuck in a small space with that greasy stench.

He looked back at the human, who was still lying down and looking up at Zim. It seemed….surreal. He looked so relaxed around the Irken, Zim couldn’t help but relax a bit himself. Something within him lurched a bit at the sight; his dark hair even messier than before, the sleep still lingering around his bright eyes, and his cheeks and ears flushed from the night of being close to another. He thought maybe he could get used to seeing Dib in the morning.

Zim bent forward a bit and planted a small, unsure kiss on the human’s warm cheek.

Blinking, Dib wasn’t sure what to do as Zim pulled away. He sat up fully and put his hand back to his cheek. “Did you just…?” That seemed oddly human, very intimate, more innocent and crazy than what had happened last night.

“If there is anything you need to do, you’d better do it now.” The Irken warned, pushing them forward, not stopping to think. They were going to be in that ship for quite a bit, and he didn’t want to have to listen to Dib complaining the whole way. Though he supposed that was inevitable.

 Throwing his legs to the side of the bed, Dib stretched and grabbed his pants, pulling them on before doing the same with his shirt and jacket.

“Yeah, I just…bathroom and stuff.” Unfortunately, that was a human thing he had no choice about. Luckily, this place had a fairly simple one and Dib relieved himself, tried to fix his hair in the mirror before giving up. Zim had most of the food put in a group and he grabbed as much as he could.  
  
“Okay. I think I’m ready.”

Zim nodded, scooping up the bags that Dib wasn’t able to carry and made his way out the window, returning shortly to carry his companion after he dropped the bags outside. “Ok, now let’s try not to draw attention to ourselves,” He began as he picked the bags up again. “That means no gawking.” He shot the human a knowing look. “Just…try not to look too excited.” But Zim knew that he was asking a lot of the human.

The irken lead them through the crowd, which was as busy as always, regardless of the time. Foodcourtia never rested; its surface was an endless moving mass of alien swine. He continuously peeked over his shoulder to make sure Dib was keeping up, slowing down to bark at him whenever he saw him fall behind to stare at any particularly interesting species that walked past.

They had almost made it to the where the voot had been teleported before Zim noticed they had attracted some unwanted attention, regardless of their efforts not to.  
“Great.” Zim mumbled as the large aliens, dressed in spiffy uniforms looked them over. They checked some sort of device before doing a double take at the pair. “Change of plans,” Zim yelled, making sure he had Dib’s attention. “Run!”

Zim clutched the bags close, elbowing and tackling people out of his way. “Hey! You! Stop!” He heard one of the guards yell after them, but it wasn’t until he heard the firing of weapons that he started to panic.

“We’re almost—AH!” Zim fell forward, letting the bags of food fly out of his hands as he hit the ground. White hot pain seeped into his shin and ebbed up his leg. He chanced a looked down at where the pain gripped him, not surprised to see the warm pink fluid that flowed out of him. His breath came out in a long pained sigh between gritted teeth. Shot for stealing food. Seemed fair. Then again, it could have been the fact that he was an Irken that tightened their fingers against the trigger.

“Zim!” Dib cried out having run ahead, unable to believe that they’d just shot at them for stealing food, turning around as fast as he could to come to the alien’s aid. The guards were gaining and laughing in horrible growling chuckles at having shot the irken. “Jerks.” Dib sneered, grabbing as much of the food he could into one arm and reached down to snare the other around Zim’s waist. “Come on! Lean on me!”

Zim grimaced as he was picked up, the blood oozing out of his leg at the increased movement. “What are you doing, idiot, you’re going to get yourself killed.” Zim hissed in a pained tone. Not to say that he wasn’t pleased that Dib came back, because he obviously didn’t want to be apprehended. Although he could probably take on the guards, easy.

Zim had been injured before, sure, but nobody had ever come back for him. It wasn’t something Zim expected to happen. He hopped awkwardly next to Dib, hurriedly tapping in the code needed to make the Voot reappear when they reached the platform.  
“Hurry, get in.” Zim ordered.

Dib threw the food in the back and lifted the alien up in his arms, gently putting him in the Voot before crawling in, awkwardly pressed against the side. They would sort this out once they were in the air and away from the danger of giant guards shooting at them. The bullets made harsh pings against the metal of the ship and he could see them getting closer, yelling. People’s faces were turning and alarms beginning to blare. “Go,go,go!” Dib yelled, breathlessly.

“I’m going as fast as I can, you--!” Zim’s finger pounded furiously against the control board and they were in the air before the guards could even touch the pad. Taking the steering wheel, Zim lurched forward, sending them upwards and out of the planet’s atmosphere, nearly knocking into a few other ships in the process. Sweat beaded on Zim’s forehead and he slumped into the seat as they leveled out.

“I doubt they’ll follow us.” Zim stated between pained gasps. He leaned over to look at his leg again, which had only seemed to have gotten worse in all the excitement. Blood was leaving his leg in steady streams, though it seemed to be letting up some. Zim clutched his hands against the wound, though it wasn’t a fatal wound, he still wanted to prevent as much bleeding as he could.

Dib panted, from the exertion of running and from the shock of seeing the vast amount of blood, that poured from the alien’s leg. “Shit. We need to staunch the flow.” He said breathlessly, searching for something to do so with and deciding his trench coat would work. It took a few seconds to struggle out of it in the confined space but, once he had it off, the cool air hit him. With a shiver, he shoved Zim’s hands out of the way and pressed the fabric to the wound, putting as much pressure as he dared on it.

“This isn’t a real bullet, right? They used lasers or something, right? Because otherwise we’ll have to find a way to get it out…” And Dib wasn’t sure if he would do more harm than good if he attempted such a thing.

“Don’t you be digging your grubby fingers into Zim’s leg!” Zim barked, wiping the sweat off his brow with the crook of his elbow. He took a deep breath, the adrenaline running thin now. “No, it isn’t a bullet.” Zim stated after calming down a bit. “The bleeding isn’t the part I’m worried about; it’s the bone.” It felt like it could have been broken or fractured, or something. But then again, it was hard to tell through the pain if this was a possibility.

But Irken’s were fast healers, and now that they were out of direct danger, Zim could relax. He wasn’t happy about being wounded, of course, but he wouldn’t let himself brood over a simple leg wound. He was a soldier, after all. He could have gotten worse.  
“Why did you go back?” Zim asked after a moment of hesitation. “If you had left me there, you wouldn’t have to worry about your planet anymore, or about the union.”

Dib’s brow furrowed heavily, as he lifted the fabric gently to get a peak at the condition Zim was in. He couldn’t tell if the leg was broken or not. That extended beyond his limited first aid knowledge. Brown eyes flew from the wound up to meet the alien’s gaze, startled by the revelation that hadn’t even occurred to him.

“I…don’t…know specifically why.” With firm hands he put the coat back in place, realizing it would probably stain the cloth and mourned for about a second before moving on. It would still work as a shield against the cold even while caked with old blood. Though he certainly did not relish the idea of smelling or feeling Zim’s blood all over him. Ugh.

“But, you’re…my companion. You’ve done so much for me. And I couldn’t just leave you there. That would be…horrible and stupid for many reasons.” Dib completed, reaching back in the bags and grabbing a water bottle.

Zim stared hard at the human, his eyes wide in disbelief. Did he just call him his companion? Sure, Zim had sort of referred to Dib that way in his mind, but hearing the word out loud was surreal. Zim had never had a companion before, let alone one that would willingly refer to Zim with such a polite term. He cleared his throat and shook his head a bit.

“Coming back for me was stupid; you could have gotten shot and killed. Then where would your pitiful planet be?” Not that Zim cared. But Dib should have, and the fact that he wasn’t thinking ahead only proved that the boy was reckless. And…Zim was grateful for that.

Dib tugged on his earlobe, frowning. “Yeah well,… _you’re_ stupid.” He said in retort, having nothing else to say. He hadn’t been thinking about his planet then which was…bad. Very bad. All he’d been thinking was that Zim was hurt badly and they might die and he needed to save them. The adrenaline had been delicious, leaking into his blood and coloring everything so much brighter. Now that it was gone, well he sort of missed it.

“Look, I did it and it’s over. Now, let’s focus on your leg.” Dib said by way of command, taking a long drag from his bottle before closing it tightly and putting it back with the rest of the stuff. “How do you know if it’s broken or not?”

Zim leaned forward a bit and prodded at the coat, which had accumulated a handsome amount of blood, though the wound was no longer bleeding heavily. Zim gingerly lifted the coat away, the freedom of pressure causing the wound to throb and send a wave of nausea to course through the Irken. A weak groan escaped his throat as Zim swayed a bit, leaning back in the seat.

“I don’t know. Just…..just don’t mess with it. It will heal…” He breathed. After a moment, he looked back at the taller male, scrunched up uncomfortably in the small cockpit.  
“Here, let me up.” Zim ordered, grabbing Dib’s arm to help himself out of the seat without moving his leg. “Sit down, you’re making me nervous.”

Dib stuck his tongue out in disgust at the jacket before glancing at where Zim was pointing, doing his best to keep the alien balanced before obeying and sitting down, “How am I making you nervous?” Dib asked before calmly helping Zim into his lap. It was a bit of a relief not to be hunched over and the seat of the voot cruiser was familiar and comfortable in the face of recent events.

The scent of Zim’s blood hung in the air and Dib wanted to gag. It wasn’t that it smelled bad…but, just that it was there. Yes, he’d known the scientists would try to cut the alien open and there was that incident at the hotel room but, this…suddenly, Zim wasn’t immortal or this almighty being.

“Just shut up and sit down,” Zim ordered again before nestling into the human’s lap. It was strange how familiar this was, but even more so in how welcome it was. Not to say it was comfortable, because it wasn’t. He didn’t exactly want to admit that he was uncomfortable with how Dib seemed to loom over him, even while hunching down. He was much closer to Zim’s eye level this way.

Zim huffed and relaxed against Dib, too drained to care about how intimate it seemed. His leg was a low, throbbing pain now; much easier to deal with the white hot mess it was a little while ago.

All at once it was like Zim slumped over and fell into him, letting Dib take the weight and honestly, he didn’t mind. It was nice being leaned upon, someone trusting him enough to lean against. It was an interesting feeling, filling his chest with deadly, fuzzy feelings.

“When we get to the Massive, don’t you dare utter a word about this to my leaders.” He warned in a low voice. He’d rather tell them they were escaping the lab when Zim got this wound than admit to stealing food like some sort of lowly, pathetic drone.

Dib laughed softly, breaking his gaze from the window where he could see their reflection (Zim looked tired but, unguarded, fierce but, lazy. And Dib…well, he just looked weird, caught up in everything, distracted and not nearly as gaunt as he could remember himself being.) glancing down at the alien. His eyes caught on Zim’s cheek as it shined from the glow of the far off planet and the control panel.

An urge struck him and Dib leaned forward a bit, pressing his lips chastely to the Irken’s cheek. “My lips are sealed.” He murmured.

Zim’s previously half lidded eyes widened, like they seemed to have been doing a lot as of late. He looked at the human, his expression melting into one of curiosity only for a moment before a regained his calm. He couldn’t help but smile a bit at the action.

“Yes, well,” Zim began looking back down into his lap. “If the Tallest ask, I got this wound performing a daring escape from your earth labs.” A slight pause as his mind returned to that moment on the plaza, where Dib had come back for him regardless of his own safety. And the safety of his planet.


	11. Nebula Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _‘Oh, Dib-thing,’_ Zim thought. _‘Your human mind is only just grasping the very surface of our situation.’_

Zim cleared his throat a bit. “I suppose I should thank you. Even if it was incredibly stupid and reckless.”

“Oh uh…” Dib’s brows furrowed in concentration, glancing back up at their reflection in the window. “You don’t have to thank me.” There was no reason to, not when Dib had wanted to do it and when it just seemed like the right thing to do. Sighing, he lay back further and let his eyes fall shut, working on relaxing.

“How far are we from…The Massive?” It was a very impressive name. He would assume the ship fit it perfectly or he would be disappointed.

Zim sighed a bit, not wanting to move from his spot. He had finally been able to take his mind off his leg and nestle himself into a comfortable spot on the human’s lap. With a small groan, he leaned over and skimmed his fingers over the control panel, eliciting a few harsh notes along with a section of Irken text. Each Irken ship was built in with a beacon that lead right back to the Massive, though it was usually covered in a thick layer of security codes. Zim was able to breach it, easily.

“Mmm,” Zim hummed thoughtfully. “We’re lucky; it seems the massive has changed its position since our little adventure on foodcourtia. It should only take us a couple of day to reach them if we don’t stop. And if they don’t change direction.” He returned to his relaxed position, leaning against the human’s chest.

“With even more luck, your strange human functions will be kept under tabs until then.”

Said human considered this, nodding slowly and starting to think of a routine for himself so he could control said functions. He was a bit hungry and he could eat today but, he didn’t necessarily need to eat tomorrow. A little bit of water wouldn’t hurt but, he would split the bottle for those two days.

Satisfied, Dib slunk back further in the seat, hesitating only a second before wrapping his arms around the alien’s middle. “It’s more comfortable. This way my arms aren’t hanging everywhere.” He murmured as way of explanation. A few moments of silence passed and the stars passed around them instead of just above.

Zim shifted a bit at the human’s touch, but decided that even if it was awkward to be comfortable in such a way with another person, they wouldn’t be like this for long, anyways. Might as well be comfortable for the short time they’d spend in the cramped cockpit, right? Not that he should care about the human’s over all comfort, in the first place. But he sort of owed him, considering he had saved Zim’s life.

Actually, it was starting to get way too exhausting to come up with a reason to justify his actions towards Dib. He figured it would be best to just let it happen, from here on out. It might have been a bad decision, but at this point he was probably already in way over his head.

“Do what you need to, Dib-human.” Zim mumbled, peering out the window to avoid looking up at his companion.

Gazing past his reflection into the vast cold abyss of space, his eyes caught a distant glowing mass. A nebula, brilliant in its bright pink, blue and green swirls of stars and dust dancing through the endless space.

“Look,” Zim pointed, knowing the human will have some sort of interest in the massive clump of dust and gas.

Blinking his eyes open, (Dib hadn’t realized they had closed), he glanced over where Zim pointed. A hazy fantastic glow surrounded it, swirling fog and smoke. Several colors, ranging from magenta to black in an infinite scope. Thousands of stars surrounded the area, creating a beacon of illumination. Dib swallowed, in awe of the beauty. In one long whoosh, he lost his breath. “Wow. It’s incredible…a real life nebula…”

He gaped a little before chuckling softly and tightening his grip on the Irken. “It’s the color of your eyes…” It didn’t occur to him until later that maybe that was kind of…a weird thing to say.

Zim’s brow furrowed at the comment, and he felt a veil of heat cover his face as his cheeks flushed. Why was that so off-putting to Zim? It was a simple observation, but the fact that Dib was observing him in such a way still made him a bit uncomfortable. Though it was pointless to fight it; observing and dissecting situations was hard-wired into Dib’s personality, as obnoxious as it was.

Suddenly, the air between the two seemed almost unbearably warm, regardless of the cold space that surrounded them. Zim tore his eyes away from the spectacle of the nebula to chance a peek up at the human who had his arms draped protectively around the Irken. His face was bright in excitement; lit up with wonder and fascination, along with the lights of the control panel and glow of the far off nebula. It was….a sight, to say the least.

Something in Zim’s chest pounded hard, and the sound of it echoed all through him, making it difficult to focus on anything. What could he say to end this?

“How so?” He hated how unsure and shaky his voice sounded. Like he was hearing himself over a great distance.

It was hard to want to really talk when there was such wonder out there, so close and yet, Dib loved talking so he was at an impasse. Tearing his gaze from the nebula he, glanced down at Zim and tilted his head to the side. There was something there in the Irken’s expression. Damned if Dib knew how to go about decoding it. He hardly understood his own emotions. 

“What do you mean? Why the nebula is incredible? Or how it reminds me of your eyes?” Oh. Yeah. That was…weird wasn’t it? It screamed crazy. Didn’t guys say things like that to girls they liked? ‘Your eyes remind me of the blue sky’… or some other bull? But, it was true here though. He’d spoken without thinking (a bad habit, just as thinking too much was).

In any case, suddenly this felt important. Like a test or something. His heart beat too quickly and his palms felt sweaty. What was happening to him?

Did Zim only manage to make the situation worse? Of course he did, because now Dib was peering down at Zim who was hunched up in his arms, and feeling frustratingly small. He could see the human trying to read him, like he always did, and he had to look away. He felt the need to protect something, at least one thing, from Dib’s penetrating gaze. He needed to be able to keep some portion of himself from being observed like some sort of exhibit on display.

But of course, looking away didn’t disperse any of the heat that had managed to form between them, somehow.

“Both.” Not that he was particularly interested in the human’s opinion on the nebula.

It had gotten too awkward, too close and personal and that heat was building between them again. The same as it had when they’d kissed before but, different in some nearly imperceptible way that he could feel scrape against his brain. Dib pulled his arms away, one falling to his side and brushing some of the food bags, the other going up to mess with his hair.

“I like space.” Dib began, noticing how Zim looked away and thinking that it was probably a good thing since he didn’t think he would’ve been able to. “And nebulae are my favorite thing about it…they’re such crazy things. Formations of ice, gas, dust and starlight that aren’t that special on their own but, together they make this swirling, incredible…mass.”

Yeah, Dib loved to talk. But, up until a few days ago no one had ever been around long enough to listen. Or care to listen anyhow. “And as for your eyes…well, the color is the same. A vivid red constantly shifting to dark purple or light pink depending on your moods or the light source. It glows the same way…and I feel like I could get lost in there. Just walk into the dusty clouds and breathe it all in, space and time, the places where it all came from and die happy.”

Dib looked down at his hands. Long, lanky fingers. Pale and clumsy. “I think I could do that with your eyes sometimes. You look so far away on occasions. Like you’re remembering a time a billion years ago and I want to know your secrets, know the stories you hold. I want to soak up everything and bask in it.” He needed to stop talking. This was stupid.

“I want to know everything about the universe, about you.” And suddenly it wasn’t about the nebula anymore. But, had it ever really been?

Zim was stunned, to say the least. The Invader found himself speechless at the human’s confession. It seemed Dib’s fascination with Zim ran deeper than he had anticipated, and the reality of it knocked the Irken off his equilibrium. But in a good way. Or at least, he thought it was good; everything since knowing Dib just seemed to blend into a horribly wonderful gradient of good and bad. He couldn’t pick out the line between the two spectrums.

And what was more—Zim found that these feelings Dib had for him were mutual. After all, that was the reason he had plucked the teen from his planet; because he was interested in him.

He couldn’t help but smile, though he wasn’t entirely aware that he was.

“You will,” Zim assured, reaching up and gently pushing up the lenses that covered those beautiful golden eyes, wanting to be able to peer into the depth of those tawny oceans without the glare of the universe around them. “In time.”

Startled by the movement, Dib blinked when he glasses were pushed up into his hair. Everything was blurry now. One big haze of space and Zim, blending together so perfectly it was terrifying. “I…will.” They had all the time in the world didn’t they? Did they? “Will you stay with me then? We’ll actually…”

It sounded more stupid than it had in his head. “Be…married? You’ll show me the universe? And…Earth will be safe…” It sounded too good to be true. An alien as his partner, a guide. It wasn’t like he’d never thought of getting married before on Earth. Maybe find a nice girl to settle down one day. But, that was _years_ in the future. Not when he was just turning 18 in…however long.

But, suddenly he realized how badly he wanted this; not just to save his planet(that was important) but, to be with Zim and learn everything about him. It felt vital. It felt right. Like the thing he was meant to do. If he had believed in it, he would’ve called it fate.

“Zim will stay, Dib-human.” Zim answered in a soft voice, his gloved claws trailing softly down the teen’s cheek to trace his jaw. “I’d like to see you try and get around without me.” He chuckled.

The pain in the Irken’s leg managed to be pushed into the farthest corner of his mind as the human welcomingly monopolized his thoughts. Dib’s scent and warmth filled the space between them, effectively over powering the smell of greasy food and blood. He smelled…like earth. But not the smoggy cities that seemed to dominate the planet, but rather the soil and plant life that they were built over. It was a rich, sweet scent that was still very foreign to Zim, regardless of his time spent on Dib’s home world.

Dib’s eyes, as always, were bright and smoldering; shining from the very flame of the human’s soul. Reflecting all of his desires, and Zim could see himself in them.

Zim’s digits ran under Dib’s chin, bringing him into his personal space—as though he wasn’t already—and tentatively pressed their lips together. Magenta eyes half-lidded, but not closed.

The human’s eyelids fluttered but, followed Zim’s lead and stayed open as they sat with their lips pressed together, nothing much happening. They were barely touching but, his heart beat triple time, warmth spreading from the connection between them. Dib swallowed and pressed back in the barest of ways, focusing on Zim’s bottom lip, nibbling it slightly before sighing. It felt too hot in here. He was too hot, overheating.

“You’re actually…staying with me, then. Good. I’ll do the, uh the same.” It was hard to focus, to speak clearly when their lips brushed every time he spoke and the sharp edges of Zim’s claws there, not hurtful on his face but, very, very real. “Y-you do realize that this is…complicated? This t-thing between us. So complicated that it’s um, almost…simple.” Dib fought the urge to close his eyes. It felt too nice to be this close to someone. To an alien. To…Zim.

 _‘Oh, Dib-thing,’_ Zim thought. _‘Your human mind is only just grasping the very surface of our situation.’_

“You have no idea…” Zim whispered against Dib’s lips. Dib was in a state of blissful ignorance, and Zim wondered how long he could keep this protective bubble of naivety intact. Zim knew that when it would inevitably be destroyed, the force of it will crush Dib, and Zim would most likely be caught in the middle of it all. But he was too far in, now. He was almost as enveloped in the illusion as the human was.

Zim had to take a step back and look at it from his own mind; not the one the human had taken over. But it was so hard to step back, when he was so comfortable in his spot in Dib’s arms. How could he force himself to pull away? To remind himself that this wasn’t as romantic as the human was making it out to be. That this was fake. 

In the very near future, Dib was going to curse Zim’s name—and Zim would have to find a way to cope with this. To be able to turn his back on this strange,tender nature he had become accustomed to in the short time he was exposed to it. How could something so foolish become so addictive?

But in the cockpit of Zim’s Voot Cruiser, speeding along in space, Zim found it all too easy to ignore the hard truth. To allow himself to sink into the lie he had created, with Dib pulling him under.

“Things will….become very simple in the future.” Zim hoped he wasn’t giving too much of himself away. But in the end, he had unwillingly given himself up, entirely.

“They will? Good.”The entire answer was confusing and vague but, he wasn’t sure if he was up to unraveling the curious nature of Zim. Dib murmured, hazily, feeling himself falling deeper into those incredible eyes that were so much more expressive than a nebula, growing and constantly changing, pulling him further into what he felt was obsession.

But, how could he be obsessed when he hardly knew anything about Zim? Well, there was everything he’d learned in the lab but, that was basic information. But, then again….they had all the time in the universe didn’t they? And since time didn’t really exist…well, he had forever to learn the Irken.


	12. Question Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one would know that he was saving them. His own family wouldn’t be there, just down the hall anymore. They were galaxies away. It felt a bit yawning to consider that everything he’d ever known…well, he was kind of saying goodbye to it.

“What’s your favorite color?” Dib wondered, feeling like it was vitally important that he know the answer and also thinking he should probably pull away before their lips brushed one more time or he’d…do something bad.

It was an odd thing to ask at such a time, but then again Zim didn’t know much about how these intimate situations worked, so how could he say. He allowed his eyes to close for just a moment as he tried to remember any color that wasn’t a golden brown.

“I'm not partial to just one color,” Zim answered as his eyes opened again. He sighed a bit and pulled away from Dib, just an inch. “I love the color of the Massive ship—pink. I love the colors of fire and the color of the sky over Irk. There are many colors that hold significance to me, so choosing one would be pointless.”

Dib half smiled, thinking about that. “Heh. Mine is blue.” It had been since he was a little kid, running around with his diaper and magnifying glass held close. Usually in his mouth. It was just one of those things. It made him happy and was pleasing to his eyes. Although green was coming in at a close second right about now.

“Blue isn’t bad,” Zim mused. Definitely not the most mesmerizing or impressive color out there. Then again, Zim wasn’t impressed by a whole lot that wasn’t himself.

“What about…your earliest childhood memory? Oh, um smeethood…memory? Or just earliest memory. Yeah, let’s go with that.” Wow. He was just suave today wasn’t he? 

A side of the alien’s brow raised at the human’s effort at phrasing. Although Zim understood what he was trying to say, the effort put into the wording still tickled him. “Well, being hatched, of course. Don’t human’s remember their hatching day?”

Hatched? So from…eggs? That was pretty weird and awesome. Dib tried not to let his curiosity show too much. It had scared some people off in the past. Not that he’d cared all that much. Nope. Not at all. “Um. No. Actually, most humans don’t start developing memories until a couple years after their birth. Or at least that’s when the part of the brain that controls Long-term memory develops enough. And we aren’t hatched.” There was a smear of pink blood across the alien’s cheek. Dib wanted to wipe it away but, he couldn’t do that with spit or with water and he thought that just trying to rub it off wouldn’t be very effective.

“Fascinating,” Zim breathed. “I mean, of course this only further proves that Irkens are superior, but I have to admit that it is interesting. In a primitive sort of way.” He had researched a bit on the human biology and how they ticked, but to say that they weren’t elaborate and complex creatures would be a lie. They were made of intricate organs that all worked together in symphony to keep the human alive. But it was just something that added weakness; if one organ failed and couldn’t be repaired, that was it. Game over for the lowly human.

“Yes, you humans are birthed, aren’t you.” The idea wasn’t completely nonsensical to Zim; he had heard of many mammals across the galaxy that reproduced in the same manner. Though to think that even semi-competent creatures such as humans didn’t come up with a better method made Zim chortle.

“That’s a shame.” He scoffed. “There are so many benefits to mass-producing. No need to worry about the mother carrying the young, and the process that often leaves the carrier weak and defenseless. You humans are almost begging to be conquered.” Zim chanced a peek at the human, and knew instantly that he probably shouldn’t have made such a statement. It seemed he was still partial to his race and planet, regardless.

The Irken cleared his throat before quickly bringing the subject back. “And what about you? What do you remember in your smeethood, as you called it?”

Dib shook his head, raising an eyebrow slyly. “There are all kinds of things wrong with what you just said. However, because I am in such a good mood… I am willing to overlook it." He shifted and tried to think. It was hard though when his mind was now buzzing with the idea of mass producing Irkens. That was…incredible. How did they do it? What was the process? How many Irkens did they have now? 

“It isn’t a happy one really. It’s not sad either I guess.” Dib grumbled, looking at the nebula. “I was six. And we were staying at this old hotel because my dad had a science convention not too far away. And when I say old, I mean old. It had been there for nearly three centuries. Three hundred years…” Dib marveled, remembering the faint dusty smell. The feel of the floor creaking under his feet. And a faint chill in the air. Something wasn’t right with this place. But, that was exciting and it hadn’t scared him. There’d been…something there.

“We’d settled down for bed finally and dad was out really fast. Gaz went next and I couldn’t sleep. I remember crawling out of bed and getting a little plastic cup of water and…turning around and seeing something…a person. Not someone I knew. But, they were tall, with skin I could see through. They stared down at me and me up at them…I could smell saw dust and copper all around him.” The teen’s brows furrowed as he remembered.

“It only lasted for a few seconds. I have no idea what it was. Or why it was there. Or why…I wasn’t afraid of him…my first memory was of something that science can’t really explain.” Dib chuckled softly, reaching over and grabbing his glasses back from the alien’s claws, slipping them on and blinking everything into focus again. “I knew I should do something about it. Tell my dad. Or someone. But, no one really listened. So...I figured I should just keep quiet when these things happened to me.”

“This…thing that you saw…is that what you call a ghost?” Zim had been listening, rather surprisingly, to Dib when he spoke about these things. At first they bored him nearly to tears, but the more the human enthused about them, the more interesting they got. It showed a bit more about how the human race viewed the afterlife. And while it was nothing Zim believed in himself, it was still fascinating to think about what awaited them after death.

It was never anything Irkens dwelled on. They didn’t fear death, or at least were taught not to. They were always taught to greet death with wide arms; to never fear what await them on the battle field. Of course, that never stopped Zim from trying to avoid it. It had got him this far, so how could anybody complain.

“The thing you’d been chasing down for eighteen years?” Zim thought about it some more. “It doesn’t sound very impressive.”

“See, that’s the thing, Zim. I don’t know what it was. It might’ve been a ghost and…what do you mean? What have I been chasing down?” Dib replied, brows drawn together in confusion. What was the alien talking about now?

“You are always talking about finding ghosts and whatnot.” Zim reminded him. “Finding ghosts and uncovering their mystery?” Zim waved a hand through the air. “All this nonsense about what lies on the other side. You know, what you tend to babble on about for hours on end.”

“I-I do…?” Dib had known he’d talked about this stuff before. It was fascinating…but, hours? Maybe it was unconscious. Every time he’d spoken about it on Earth he’d been ridiculed and mocked. So, eventually he’d kept his mouth closed because even his father didn’t like it when he talked about it. Maybe now that he _could_ talk about it, it was just flooding out. “Huh. I guess. And it’s not just ghosts…it’s monsters and strange occurrences and _aliens_.” Dib said pointedly in Zim’s direction.

Zim rolled his eyes, the pink orbs of light floating in the endless magenta quivering as he did so.But, it still made him think. Dib had been miserable on his planet because he wasn’t able to pursue these things. And while he was in space with an unfamiliar alien life form, how was he going to cope with not being able to pursue these things on Irk? Was being around aliens going to be enough? “Well, I don’t think we have those things on Irk.” Zim admitted slowly. “But being with Zim should prove to be stimulating enough, I assure you.”

Both eyebrows raised this time and Dib couldn’t help but, laugh. It must be the teenager in him that couldn’t not snicker at such a sentence. “Oh um. I’m sure, Zim. I’ve never felt more alive than I have now. I mean, running through foodcourtia…it was dangerous and freaking brilliant.” A smile lit his face. “Yanno before you got shot.”

Dib still felt a bit sick thinking about it. The fear that stuck in his throat. But, he hadn’t had time to even think about anything but, grabbing the alien and running for both their lives. “Besides I have the entire Universe now. I’m sure there are even crazier things out here than there was back on earth.”

“You have no idea,” Zim breathed, feeling a tad relieved. “But it is good that you would say so; I don’t need you regretting this decision and making things harder.” His eyes narrowed and he scowled at his reflection in the window. He really did look terrible. The Nebula was finally out of view now, and they were faced again with an unspectacular eyeful of nothing. Of promising emptiness, and Zim was tired of it already. He wanted to be on the massive, and his impatience was already starting to nibble at the corners of his mind. “Speaking of regrets,” Zim started hesitantly. “Your father, what do you think will become of him with you gone?”

Dib hadn’t even realized that they’d passed it, in the middle of all their talking. Still he was certain it wouldn't be the last one he would see so wasn’t all that depressed. However, he suddenly felt a bit…uneasy at Zim’s question. “I…I don’t know. I mean I’m assuming he’ll either think you kidnapped me or that I went with you willingly.” No one would know that he was saving them. His own family wouldn’t be there, just down the hall anymore. They were galaxies away. It felt a bit yawning to consider that everything he’d ever known…well, he was kind of saying goodbye to it.

A slight panic attack wanted to rise up, make him realize how huge this was; how he was giving up everything for people who kind of ignored him and hated him, how he was marrying an alien who he hardly knew, throwing himself into the unknown…But, he shoved it down. Dib was an expert at tamping down emotions. There would be time to panic later. Much later.

“I’m sure he’ll freak out at first. I am the heir after all and his son. He’ll search for me, send out reports, posters, my face will be everywhere for maybe…half a year or so. But, everyone will move on.” He shrugged, gnawing on the inside of his cheek. “Dad will get over it. Eventually.” He knew that dad cared for him and loved Dib in his own way. But, the grieving period would be short and soon Dib would be another bad feeling, memory to suppress behind theories and inventions.

Zim cataloged the information for later analysis, not wanting to brood on anything at the moment, lest he let his mind wander to the pain in his leg, which was slowly making itself known again. Gritting his teeth to bite back the throbbing.

But Dib, as usual, was compliant enough to provide a distraction, and he did it well. Questions and stories were tossed back and forth through the air between them, which was still thick with the scent of blood and sweat, but it was slowly becoming more bearable. There was no telling how much time was passing as the pair talked into the vast darkness of space, their words being the only thing in the entire universe aside from the constant glow of distant stars, and the slight promise of a far off planet.


	13. The Resisty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another attack shook them, and Zim had no hope to hold on, with his lame leg underneath him offering no support. He was knocked to the side, easily, and a handsome gash was formed on his forehead as it met with the edge of the panel.

Aside from the threat of a broken leg, and the pain that accompanied it, Zim was content. Content to sit and talk with another being who shared such an intense interest in…well himself, of course. And even when the questions didn’t orbit the small alien, Zim found that he was ok with listening to Dib talk. Listening to the odd stories and theories that he had to tell, which seemed endless. Something that Zim found irritating at first, he was quickly adjusting to.

Talking soon became whispering as eyelids began to droop and heads began to nod. Zim wasn’t sure when it went silent, but he found himself soaking it in as he sat across the sleeping human’s lap. His own eyes closed slowly, his thoughts racing across all that had happened in the past day or so. He wasn’t allowed much time to think about it, however, as soon the grey wings of sleep were wrapping themselves around him.

Zim wasn’t asleep long, or at least he didn’t feel like he was, before his world was knocked ajar. He was jerked from Dib’s lap as the voot rocked violently.  
“Wha!” Zim yelped, biting down on his lip at the sharp pain in his leg, drawing blood from it as his leg reopened. “What’s happening?” He tried again as another violent quake seized the voot. Scrambling onto the control panel, Zim peered out the cracked window, only to fall back in surprise. “We’re under attack!” He exclaimed. “I don’t understand, the systems should have alerted us at any passing ships!”

Almost on cue, the control panel flashed red, emitting an obnoxious chirp.  
  
Growling, Zim pulled himself back up, grabbing at the controls to steer themselves out of whatever mess they had seemed to drifted into. 

“Gah!” Dib shouted wide awake now, being thrown from the seat and up against the panel knocking the air out of him, then backwards suddenly as his body must’ve pushed something. They were going up or at least what felt like up. There was no real up or down in space. Panic had his chest in a tight hold and he gasped, trying to fight to get air back into his lungs.

Another attack shook them, and Zim had no hope to hold on, with his lame leg underneath him offering no support. He was knocked to the side, easily, and a handsome gash was formed on his forehead as it met with the edge of the panel.

One hand was suddenly reaching for the irken who was sprawled across the panel and the floor. New bright pink blood, pooled with the crusted stuff. The other hand was sliding across the controls, trying to figure out, frantically how to right them.

“Zim?! Are you okay?” You better be okay. Dib brushed his hands over the control panel, pulling up lights with the tips of his fingers and they turned to a semi decent upright position again, then he shoved forward and they were going as fast as the ship could handle (except for hyper speed of course). Dib chanced a glance back at their attacker and gulped. It was a decent sized ship; large, gray and ominous. That was all he managed to take in just before another blast of some sort of bright green laser sent them spiraling.

“Fucking god damn it—“ Dib had never been much of a curser. Except for when they were really needed. This was one of those times. “Zim?!” He asked again over the roar of the engines.

Dib’s voice only managed to push against the veil of darkness that engulfed Zim as he lay, unconscious, across the floor of the voot. He could only just sense the motion as his ship was knocked about and steered unprofessionally, unable to help and blissfully unaware of the madness that was occurring to his proud Irken vessel.

But only just a gnat on the screen of the radar compared to the looming ship ahead, standing out sharply against the space around it. Its bright magenta, a boldness against the black velvet of space, which called to attention the dark logo presented proudly on the apex of the ship. Smaller ships buzzed around it, like bees to a hive, as they sauntered through space, towards Zim’s Voot and their attackers.

The teenager gasped, feeling everything inside of him twist into a horrible knot. He knew this was it. The Massive and now their salvation. Dib pressed down as hard as he could on that lever, pushing buttons to try and get them to go faster. It was almost like a video game console. A few more green lasers shot past them, and a few might’ve even hit from the force of the vibrations. The ship zoomed forward and the other tiny ships that hovered around the Massive separated for them, though he figured there was probably some angry drivers.

There was some flashing lights from behind him, he could see their faint glow in the window shield just as he could see his own face as he leaned forward in his seat, eyes frantically searching the gigantic vessel for anything that looked like a landing dock.

There! A large flat area in the bottom with several ships coming and going. He threw the lever down, feeling his stomach go up and Zim shift a little backwards with the motion. “Come on. Almost there. Hang on, Zim!” Again the other ships jerked out of his way and Dib flew the tiny voot cruiser into the docking area, finding what looked to be a clear spot and coming to a horrible, slam-on stop as they hovered in the air.

He didn’t know how to land it. Oh, the fuck well. Dib dropped to his knees next to the irken, immediately cupping his hand to the large gash on his forehead. “Oh fuck. Zim. Come on, Space-boy. You’re fine. Say something.” His other hand was busy assessing the leg wound, grimacing when he realized the entire bottom of the ship was pretty much coated in the stuff. Dib’s heart was in his throat, pounding out Morse code for ‘no fucking shit please be okay’.

He didn’t notice the Irkens that were running towards the Voot cruiser, surrounding it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg im such a fucking idiot i never posted this chapter it hid from me jfc im sorry  
> this is the REAL chapter eleven  
> everyone just rolled with the missing chunk wow


	14. The Massive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was like standing in the middle of a busy street, feeling the whooshing air brush past you, so close to almost hitting you but not. The zoom of noise before it was gone. The danger, the adrenaline, feeling lost even though you know exactly where you are.

Zim’s entire body went from blissful weightlessness to feeling like a lump of lead as his eyes fought to open. His eyelids refused him, as though he were trying to access his body from a world away from here. He had no notion as to whether his arms were even moving as he attempted to lift them, trying to grasp onto something—anything—to pull him back into the waking world. He tried to speak but couldn’t seem to get a grip on what words were.  
The Irkens outside were barking orders in their direction, now. Demanding to know why there was a food cruiser on their ship, why it had brought a attack from an enemy vessel down among them and what business they had there.

“Uhh.” Dib looked out the window at the crowding Irkens and ducked down behind the windshield, tightening his grip on Zim, hoping to staunch the blood flow. But, that didn’t explain why his thumb felt the need to ghost across the Irken’s bottom lip, feeling for a breath. “Hey, come on. Crazy aliens are surrounding us and I can’t exactly speak your language. They might think I tried to kill you or something like that.”

Dib shrugged out of his trench coat again and pressed it against Zim’s leg wound. They hovered above the spot in the docking range, no one showing their head. The Irkens debated among themselves. Finally a painfully short drone was shoved forward to do the job.

It fell down and tossed a small unsure look over its shoulder before taking a deep breath and gathering all the courage it was forced to have because it was an Irken and Irkens were brave, sometimes stupidly so and trotted forward, a small laser gun shaking in its hands.

It had to stand on its tiptoes to get a good look inside. Though mostly all it saw was the tops of heads. The tip of the gun tapped against the ship’s hull and it called out in Irken. “Fellow Irken? Is everything alright? Are you injured?”

Dib jumped at the sound of some other being’s voice. It was a small one and in Irken. Oh Jeeze. “Oh fucking Jeeze, Zim you have to wake up now. Please. You can officially pass out in a bit and I won’t bother you, moron. But, now. UP.”

It was a droning noise that was pulling him forward, and just before Zim could even grasp consciousness, the noise formed into words. They were distant and meaningless at first, but the more he followed them, the more he realized that they were in trouble.  
Zim worked to get his arms moving, to grasp and to feel something—anything. He could feel his finger wrap around fabric, and he tugged as if he were pulling his mind out of the darkness that had trapped him when he hit the floor.

“Shhuu…” Zim managed as he pulled his head upright, his eyes cracking open. “Shhhut uuup..” his voice was dry and quiet, and it seemed that no force of will could get it beyond that point. Until the pain caught up with him. All of a sudden, everything was too real. Groaning, Zim’s hand flew up into the air and waved frantically at the Irkens gathered outside of the ship.

“Shut up and get me a fucking medic!” He yelled, grimacing. His whole body ached, with a few key points that stood out in a sharp pain. It took him a long moment to realize that he was still speaking English, and with a bit of stammering, struggled to repeat the urgent phrase in his native tongue.

The Irkens outside looked at each other, sharing unsure glances before deciding they had no other choice at the moment. They could question the passengers of the ship in the medical bay. “Pop open the cruiser, Dib.” Zim ordered between clenched teeth, pointing at the release switch on the panel.

Wide eyed, Dib stared between the Irken who was still bleeding profusely and the large amount of them who were gathered around the cruiser, looking very uncertain and hostile. He chewed on his cheek uncertainly for two seconds, thinking that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to expose themselves to a crowd of angry aliens.

But, Zim was an alien wasn’t he? And he needed medical attention. So, he shoved the appointed button and the cruiser shield swooped over their heads, revealing them to the outside world. Immediately he was assaulted by noises, smells, heavy new gravity that was obviously artificial…

Dib’s head swam, as he climbed clumsily out of the voot. He didn’t even notice when the Irkens scattered, staring at the strange creature, barking orders and questions back and forth to each other; what was it? Where had it come from? Was it a slave? It looked pretty tall but, it also seemed uncoordinated. What was on its head?

Zim limped next to the human, body still feeling heavy. He hung on Dib, though he seemed to be having some of his own problems. Some of the Irkens chanced a step closer, holding their weapons out in front of them in caution. Zim patted Dib’s chest weakly to show that he was good; he was on Zim’s side. The Irken side.

The guards shared an apprehensive glance before nodding. They barked something in Irken before they cleared a path, allowing them to board the Massive.

Zim bowed his head, though not in gratitude, but in fatigue. A smaller Irken, dressed in a more bland uniform than the others, came through to greet them. Wasting no time, the medic drone hurried them through the crowd of curious onlookers and into the belly of the ship.  
The halls seemed alive with the constant buzzing of Irken technology—lights and sounds going off sporadically from the various machines built into the winding walls. All with purpose and all manned with distracted crewmates.

And that buzzing made Dib’s head ring. It was like standing in the middle of a busy street, feeling the whooshing air brush past you, so close to almost hitting you but not. The zoom of noise before it was gone. The danger, the adrenaline, feeling lost even though you know exactly where you are.

Without thinking, he reached out and wrapped the tips of his fingers around Zim’s wrist, holding on in the lightest of ways. It was incredible. The way they all moved, in unison, in a well oiled machine that still managed to seem chaotic. A sea of green and pink. The rushing sound of irken words; harsh clicks, rough curling of tongues and gnashing teeth. He’d heard Zim speak this before.

While back in the cube prison and when the alien had tried to teach him a few words during their journey…but, when he spoke it…it was better somehow. More alive, less hostile and more vivid. Less broken and more threaded together with intermixes of things he could understand, motions and gestures that made everything clearer.

Zim seem unbothered by the usual commotion that waged on around them, his head nodding as he limped, the darkness threatening to take over at any moment. But there was no way he’d pass out now, not in front of his fellow Irkens. And most certainly not on the Massive. He was among his people now; respected and feared across the galaxy, he couldn’t afford to drop his pride. Even now with his leg caked in blood, a new layer forming as he limped on it and the trail of blood that ran evenly down the side of his face, Zim attempted to keep his back at straight at possible.

The medical drone led them the entire way, looking back over his shoulder at the taller alien every now and again, an obvious look of apprehension on his pale green face. After a long ways, too long for Zim’s liking, they were herded through a pair of doors that whirled open for them. Beyond the metallic doors was a large room, which was very obviously equipped to be a medical room. Various instruments were strewn about, all of which were sleek in appearance and their purpose was not known simply by looking at them.

In the back, built into the walls were strange, fluid-filled pods. They were big enough to house a range of Irkens body types, but were all unoccupied at the current moment. Zim wondered if he would end up in one by the end of this. The medical drone scurried to the center of the room, where he adjusted a very uncomfortable looking table, patting it for Zim to sit on. He obliged, all too happy to get the pressure off of his leg.

The drone circled around to get a better look, hissing a bit when Dib found himself in the small Irken’s path, which only elicited a nasty snarl from Zim. And although the Drone wasn’t that much shorter than Zim, he still found himself backing down.  
Zim looked up at the misplaced human, a weary look on his face.

“You are going to be getting a lot of attention here.” He explained. “Some of it won’t be good, but just stay close to me and you’ll be alright.”

Dib’s eyes snapped from where he’d been staring at the giant tubes filled with some sort of green and pink fluids back to Zim and in turn the other one, the uh…one who pretty much looked exactly like all the other aliens they ‘d passed. But, this one had a simpler uniform and a little symbol on its pak. He assumed that meant he or she or whatever was a doctor of sorts.

“Ummm. Okay. Yes. I won’t be going far…” Dib trailed off, going back to staring at the rest of the room with awe. There was so much to discover, to learn. It hardly even made sense how excited he was. His hands shook and his pupils were dilated, breathing coming in fast bursts. It was probably culture shock.

Dib just wanted to touch everything and take it apart to learn how it worked and he wanted to put it back together and see what all he could use it for and maybe make some adjustments as he found out everything there was to know about it. Kind of like how he’d felt when he first had met Zim.

Still kind of how he felt. “Does this room have a name? What are the doctors called? What are these tubes? How many Irkens live on the Massive? What is this ship actually for? Like what is it’s formal job?” Dib took a deep breath finally, whirling on his heel to look at Zim, waiting for answers, needing them like air (which was very different here, heavier but there was less and it tasted stale-recycled-).

Zim’s shoulders slouched and he looked at Dib with his brow tense and his eyes half-lidded. “Dib-worm I’ve come to accept your curious nature,” He began slowly. “But is now really the best time? I’m bleeding to death over here!” He barked, pointing to his head wound, the blood flow already slowing down, though it hadn’t stopped. Now Zim was decorated with two wounds to his head, and while the scars may be impressive, it was still two too many to have. The headache threatened concussion, and the dizziness didn’t help. And his leg certainly wasn’t doing him any favors, but the medic was looking it over now, so hopefully it wouldn’t bother him for too much longer.

Running his hands over his face, Zim let out a muffled groan.

“I still cannot believe this happened; the ship’s warnings didn’t go off. I could have gotten us here with no pr—!” Zim had to stop as a thought struck him. “Wait,” He looked back at the human, whose eyes were practically bulging out of his head in excitement. “How DID we get here, anyway?” He asked, slightly accusing.

Dib blinked then coughed into his fist, feeling a bit…ashamed about the amount of questions he was asking while Zim was injured. Though it was a bit dramatic to say that he was bleeding to death. And as the medic hovered, doing his job, the blood was already drying and the skin healing.

“Umm. I flew us here?” How else? “You went flying against the panel when those jerks were attacking us and you weren’t exactly capable to telling me what to do so…I guessed and apparently I did okay because we’re alive.” Dib replied, distractedly as he stared at something as it floated in a tube filled with blue gel. It almost looked like a bunny or something. Why was this here? Did this place double as a laboratory?

Zim’s hand cradled his cheek as he looked at the human in bewilderment.

“YOU managed to fly an Irken ship? ZIM’S Voot Cruiser? Ho--!” He was cut off by a pained snarl ripping out of his throat as the medic attempted to remove Zim’s tattered boot. “Careful!” He hissed, followed by barking something at the poor medic in Irken.  
With a sigh, the Invader returned his gaze to Dib. “We can worry about that later. Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention?”

Leaning over and grabbing Dib’s shirt, he tugged him forward, closer to him. His gloved claws poked and patted at the teen’s person, not bothering to wait for an answer before inspecting him.

Dib felt a bit insulted about Zim’s surprise then winced at the Irken’s yelling and felt a bit of pity for the Medic but, suddenly he was being dragged forward, poked and prodded. “Um. No. I think I’m okay aside from basic culture shock and some minor bruises…and what’s so hard to believe about me flying the cruiser?” Frowning, he grabbed the alien’s finger as it poked his sternum, searching for wounds and kept it captive.

Looking at their hands for a moment, Zim dragged his eyes up to meet Dib’s, who was clearly insulted. Zim’s brow furrowed, wiggling his finger a bit in Dib’s hands as he searched for the right words.

“Well, you’ve had no training! You’ve been in that ship all of two times, whereas I spent decades of my life in that ship. It was given to Zim after extensive training and experience!” Pulling his hand away, Zim straightened his uniform out the best he could.  
If anybody should be insulted, it should be Zim. He had spent a long time learning to fly, and Dib just waltz in and took it down through combat like a pro. Guessed, he said. He guessed how to fly it, and he did alright. What an insult to Zim’s intelligence.

But he couldn’t bring himself to yell anymore. The medic was cutting the fabric away from Zim’s leg, and he could see the bruised skin, caked with blood, along with the wound. He suddenly felt lightheaded, and swayed a bit in his seat.

Dib raised an eyebrow, opening his mouth to reply in a (most likely) sarcastic way, but seeing Zim look as though he was about to faint was enough to make his mouth shut. “Hey. You’re okay.” There had never really been anyone who he’d had to comfort before nor had anyone ever done it for him so it was a strange concept. But, Dib was also human so it was kind of instinctive to reach out, putting his hand on the other’s shoulder to steady him. To speak in as soothing way as possible.

“You’re a hard core Irken solider. This is nothing.” Dib smirked. “Now when this is all done what is our first order of business?” Yes, he actually wanted to know but asking was also a ploy to get Zim’s mind off of what was going on with his leg.

Taking in a deep breath, Zim’s eyes rolled upwards in their sockets as he fought off the darkness that tinged his mind. He felt Dib as his side, an arm on his shoulder, and it helped. His voice, as always, was hard to ignore and kept him in the waking world. His brow furrowed as he took a moment to register the words that came alongside the voice.

“Um…let’s see. After this...” Zim started slowly. “We need to…speak with the Tallest. We need to…arrange something to help your situation.” His breath was steadying now, and he nodded. “Yes, talking with the Tallest is top priority. They’ll be so glad to see me.” He added with a cheeky grin.

The medic worked swiftly, cleaning the wound and wrapping it before Zim had another chance to even see the bullet hole. A swift exchange between the two Irkens verified that no, his leg was not broken, even if it felt like it was. It had done no favors to the muscle, however. It would take more time to heal, the medic decided.

As the Irkens babbled, Dib wished he knew what the hell they were saying. So, instead of doing anything productive he moped and stared intensively at a bunch of chemicals that looked really fun. They had to speak with the Tallest. The leaders.

Dib ignored his pulse jumping at the idea. What would they be like? Tall, he assumed. Benevolent? Scary? Would they go see them right away? (If he had a choice the answer would be yes.) But, seeing as Zim was injured and in need of healing time…they might need to rest up first… “Do you need to R n R first?” Dib murmured to Zim, hypnotized by a little fountain of seemingly endless bubbles that swirled in a purple beaker.

Leaning forward to allow the medic to dab the blood away from the side of his face, Zim’s gaze never left Dib’s face. He seemed so interested in the smallest thing. Then again, what else did Zim expect from the human? This was like an adventure to him.

“I do not know what ‘Arrrennarr’ means, but Zim could use some rest before jumping into council with my Tallest.” Nodding, Zim helped himself off the table, keeping off his leg as he limped his way around to the human. “I’m sure you could use some, too.” He admitted.

Dib snorted, tugging his gaze away and back to the Irken who looked much better now that he wasn’t coated in dried pink blood. He could see those cheekbones again. Were they called cheekbones on Irkens? He had so many questions. “Uh…That’s what it means. Rest and Recuperation. R and R…” From the blank look the alien was exhibiting, he gave up and just nodded. “I’m sure I could use some. In a proper bed…assuming you have one?”

“There are some around.” Zim nodded. “Finding a vacant room won’t be too much of a problem.” Taking the human’s arm for stability, the Irken avoided putting as much pressure on his leg as possible. It was feeling better now that it had been cleaned up, but he didn’t want to take any chances. He figured that Dib wouldn’t mind too much. He was, after all, in this position because of him.


	15. R & R

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The human’s body stiffened at the word ‘marriage’. It was never far from his mind, always kind of rooted while still floating. Like a water flower in his brain, clouded in the rest of the mucky waters.

Leading his companion out of the medical room and down the hall, the other Irkens gave them the expected stares. Zim ignored them, however, keeping his eyes straight ahead.  
“We have rest rooms, where we Irkens can charge. There are beds, but not as you know them. We don’t require sleep, as you know. But I’m sure you won’t have a problem falling asleep, anyway.” He had managed to sleep in the voot, after all.

They came to a narrow hallway, doors side-by-side on either wall. Most of which were open, but there were a few that had slid shut, a small red light flickering on and off.  
“These ones are occupied,” Zim explained, pointing to one of the closed doors. “Irkens are in there, resting, obviously. What that entails is their own business.” Pulling him along, his grip never loosening on Dib’s sleeve, Zim lead him to an open room. “This will do.”  
The door slid shut behind them with a mechanical whir, followed by an audible click.

“Wow.” Dib replied, glancing around the simple room. “This is boring.” Although, that pad did look decently comfortable right about now. Stifling a yawn, he took off his boots for what felt like the first time in weeks, realizing the floor was cold and metal. A shiver ran down his spine and Dib nearly hopped onto the little bed thingy, crossing his legs and glancing around.

It really was simple; the walls were a dark purple, the lighting low. The only thing in the room was the ‘bed’. Strange panels aligned the walls. The pad was firm but, soft enough to cushion a PAK.  
Dib felt his lids already growing heavy but, they really had stuff to talk about didn’t’ they? 

“So…what’s the plan for tomorrow?” When are we getting married and how? Will that ever stop being weird to think? Can we save my freaking planet? Are you okay? What are these Tallest like? What is the rest of this ship like? When will we kiss again?

The cold metal floor on Zim’s poor foot, bare from having his wound cleaned up, made the Irken jump a bit. Limping over to the mat awkwardly, he eased himself into a sitting position next to Dib.

“Tomorrow,” Zim repeated, his antennae perking up in thought. He ran a claw over his lip as he thought for a moment. “Tomorrow we meet with the Tallest. We give them your case, and hopefully they will be in a merciful mood. Which I doubt, but they can’t really say no to me, you see.” The small invader boasted, his chest puffing out in pride. “The Tallest and I go way back.”

Yes, they had trained together, and Zim had it in his head that they were actually very good friends. They respected and trusted each other, but that wouldn’t stop Zim from leaving them in the dust if it meant his own success. Irkens were wired to have the whole race in heart, but that only seemed to slow Zim down, so it wasn’t hard for him to cast his people aside if it meant his own success. And in retrospect, how would that be a bad thing? Zim could bring the Irken race to glory, easily. That’s why his leaders trusted him with such an important mission, after all.

“Don’t worry your big head over it, Dib-pet.” Zim shrugged. “Zim’s got this all under control.”

The teen nodded slowly for a few seconds before he stopped with a flat expression. “Did you just call me your pet? You better not have or I’ll squish you.” Dib replied, pointing in the Irken’s direction. Yeah, he wasn't so sure about just...letting Zim handle it. 

“It was supposed to be one of those endearment thingies.” Zim explained, waving a hand through the air. “You humans are partial to them, as I so skillfully observed.”  
  
It seemed that every human on those filthy streets was referring to something or someone as ‘cutie’, or ‘honey’, or something just as disgustingly fluffy. It was hard to miss, but Zim was a master at blending in, so he would have caught it either way, of course.

Zim’s shoulders sagged a bit as he watched the human fall onto the mattress. The orbs in his eyes danced as they flitted over Dib’s person. He was drained, and it was easy to see. The image of Dib when they first met—tall, clean, pure—compared to what he saw in front of him was like peering through to another dimension. His hair askew is every which way, his clothing mangled and dirty, the stiffness in his movements that came with being cramped in the Voot for so long.

Zim could only imagine what horrors veiled his own image at the moment. “I suppose that’s something you’d expect from Zim, if we are to be married.”

The human’s body stiffened at the word ‘marriage’. It was never far from his mind, always kind of rooted while still floating. Like a water flower in his brain, clouded in the rest of the mucky waters. Dib forced himself to relax. “Well…you don’t need to call me…any sort of endearment. That’s usually for people who feel a large amount of…adoration for the person who they’re saying it to. That’s why it’s an ‘endearment’.”

Dib reached up and removed his glasses and put them on the floor. “Don’t step on these.” Before lying back down. “I don’t really expect anything from you besides my planet safe and you know, me not being dead by the end of this.” Sighing, his lids fluttered shut. Sleep beckoned even though his mind poked at him to figure out all his problems now.

“Well, one less thing for me to worry about, then.” Zim shrugged, lying down tentatively next to Dib. His leg throbbed, but it wasn’t as bad as it was in the Voot. At least the scent of blood was mostly gone, the only exception being Dib’s clothing.

Knowing what Dib expected from all this wasn’t exactly what Zim was worried about, considering in the end it didn’t matter. At least, in Zim’s grand plan, it didn’t.  
“And besides, Zim went through all this trouble to get you here; having you die on me would be all too frustrating. More frustrating than it is to have you around, at least.” Zim smirked, his first smile in what felt like weeks.

Dib squinted at the inside of his eyelids, as he fought back his own tentative smirk. “Oh well, thanks. It’s good to know you like having me around.” He shuffled around a little bit as he felt the alien lay down next to him, soft tendrils of heat radiating off of him, making Dib shiver as he realizing how cold this place actually was. Maybe, he shouldn’t have taken off his shirt.

Sighing in the darkness, Dib flopped his hand down against the pad, feeling his skin brush against Zim’s hand too. Instinctively, he wanted to jerk his hand away but, forced himself to keep it there. “You know you’re not that annoying either. I actually liked traveling with you…besides the whole bleeding part.”

Peering down at their hands then up again, Zim kept his head still as his eyes darted around the room, thinking about how warm Dib was and how cold it was in the room. Although it was something that Irkens were usually acclimated to, he HAD spent quite a long time on Earth. It was going to take some time to get used to the hustle and bustle of everyday life on the Massive.

“Yeah well, I am pretty great. You are lucky to travel with one such as Zim.” He boasted, his eyelids falling a bit as he allowed himself to scoot half an inch closer to the body he shared his mat with. “And…admittedly, you didn’t handle the blood thing too awfully.” He offered a small compliment. All he was willing to give, at the moment. More than usual, however.

Dib nibbled at the inside of his lip, feeling as the irken scooted a tad bit closer and debated against doing the same before giving up because Zim was so warm and the air was so cold and little delicious tingles kept running up and down his skin where they touched. Their arms made contact and Dib slid his pinkie finger along the alien’s smallest finger. “Well, you know, I do my best to handle gory situations with cool calm and uh…precise action…”

Zim, though cautious, allowed the prodding finger to slide over his own, and made a conscious effort to move his hand as slowly as possible across Dib’s. He wanted to be able to jerk back at any moment.

“Dib-worm, you are but a smeet. How many gory situations could you have been caught in?” The Irken asked, skeptical. Though, given the conditions Earth was in, would Zim really be surprised if the number of bloody encounters was above none at all?

“I…” The words caught in Dib’s throat, memories of said gory situations, blood of different beings, bodies big and small under clean white sheets, slowly soaking, dripping to the floor…collecting in the drainage system while the scientists told stories, jokes, laughing while he had his hands pressed against the glass, wondering if it felt pain when they cut through its flesh. The nausea, the curiosity and the silence besides his own breathing, fogging the glass.

The many flashes he would get of past deaths. Spirits that came to him, replaying their last moments in an effort to live on, to get peace or justice. They were often brutal, gruesome and terrifying. And when he was shown such memories, it was like he was frozen in time, unable to move. His body wasn't his own. It was theirs and he was backed into a corner, strung up, stabbed in the back, betrayed and sorrowful. Blood ran in rivulets, tainting everything it touched and... 

“I’ve seen...” Dib pulled his hand away, crossing his arms over his chest. He ignored how his voice cracked. “enough.”

Zim’s once mischievous smirk faded away, and his lips drew a hard line across his face as he pressed them together. Looking over Dib’s face, his mouth tugged down at the corners. He frowned at the sudden withdrawal, and the look on Dib’s face.

More the latter, than anything else. That look—haunted, almost—disturbed Zim. Disturbed him because it was Dib—the ever curious and annoying Dib that he had been traveling with. He was happy, and when he wasn’t he was angry. That’s how Zim liked it. Because he knew that he was almost always the axis of those two. This new emotion that the human was displaying was outside of Zim’s control, and if Zim didn’t own that emotion, then it had no business on his human’s face.

“We’ve all seen things,” Zim finally said in a low whisper. “And I have seen enough in this past week to last a lifetime. I’m sure the same holds true for you.” He quickly tapped Dib’s arm with the back of his hand, demanding that he open up for him. “And none of that matter’s now, anyway. Dwelling on those things is time wasted.”

Dib finally opened his eyes to look back at the irken in the dark, swallowing back the fear and the memories of those days at his father’s lab. In the past. Think about now. About Zim’s crazy, nebular eyes and how he was on an alien space ship in some distant galaxy. He deflated with a harsh breath, arms opening and falling back to the pad.

“Yeah, I mean…it wasn’t even all that bad. Just…” Dib’s brow furrowed. “I saw more than I think I should’ve for my age. But, it’s over now. And I’m here with a crazy, amazing alien on a space ship so far away from home and from all of that, saving people and…” The pressure on his chest was lessening and the call of sleep was getting more and more tempting.

Zim’s eyes searched every inch of Dib’s face, making sure that every remnant of that haunted look was gone. A ghost of it still lingered, much to his dismay. But he figured it was all he could do, for the time being. The human seemed to be more damaged that he had previously thought.

Still good, though.

“Yes,” Zim agreed. “You are farther than any human has ever been before. Take refuge in that.” He reminded, scooting a bit closer to make up for cold that had settled between them when Dib had withdrawn. “And in Zim, if you must. Like you said; I am pretty amazing.” He added with a wide grin, his cheeks pushing his smile into his eyes.

Dib suddenly wished he still had his glasses on because he had to be sure about the strange shock that shuddered down his very center at the blurry smile pointed in his direction. “That’s true…further than anyone’s ever been before.” In response, a grin started small, mainly just instinct but, then as they grew closer it grew as well, showing his teeth, eyes squinting.

“Yes. Amazing and utterly modest too.” Take refuge in Zim? There had been crazier ideas. None that Dib could think of at the moment but, it seemed pretty god damn insane not to shuffle closer until their bodies nearly touched, heat cycling between them.

“Yes, yes, these things I already know.” Zim waved a hand a bit, letting it land on Dib’s arm when it came down. It was good to see Dib smile, and earnestly, at that. It was strange how much that effected Zim, and he didn’t even want to acknowledge it.  
“You aren’t so bad yourself,” Zim murmured after a bit of a pause. “For a human.”

Dib debated between being offended and being overly flattered and decided that for right now he would be the latter. His eyelids fell shut again. Maybe now he could get some sleep. “Well, thanks…you’re not so bad…for an alien.” Yawn. One that almost hurt his jaw, a tiny stream of tears running down his face at the force of it. Man it felt great to stretch out again.

Dib sighed, feeling the Irken close. Feeling the steady hum of the Massive’s engines, under Zim’s breathing. It was a lullaby now, having become the beat for rambling conversations, a steady heart beat and companionable silence. Everything tasted like space. Everything was decently warm and Dib was out in a matter of seconds, very at ease with the irken before him.

Sleep didn’t come easily for Zim, not that it ever had before these recent turn of events. In the Voot cruiser, they had drifted in and out of conversations ,not being able to tell how long they were asleep if it weren’t for the internal clock in Zim’s PAK. But now they were on the Massive, and everything was starting to sink in. They were going to face the Tallest, and Zim would have to make a choice.

Granted, he had never planned on helping Dib, not really. Now that he was off his planet, Earth was missing a vital key in its defense system; Membrane was nearing the end of his prime, and there was no longer an heir to fill in his place. The massive could swoop in at any time and take them completely off guard and they wouldn’t be able to do a single thing about it.

Looking at the human sleeping before him, he wondered what he would do when he found out. When he found out that Zim had been lying to him. He had reacted so poorly when he found out that Zim was an Invader; and this was much bigger on the grand scale of Earth’s safety. But was Dib really in a position to act out? He was in Zim’s territory, no box cages to protect him this time.

And Zim was nervous. It was so dumb, because the human had agreed to come with Zim, and it was all Dib’s fault that this was happening. So why did Zim feel his gut turn at the thought of confronting him tomorrow? Dib was so at peace in this moment, and Zim was usually pretty eager to burst those happy little bubbles people found themselves in, but thinking about it now made the palms of his hands clammy.

Dib was such an idiot, and Zim felt like one for being so wrapped up in…whatever this was.


	16. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if the treaty is granted? A sliver of hope shone through at the thought. Zim wouldn’t have to tell Dib that Earth is doomed, and he wouldn’t be upset with him.

Night didn’t happen like it would on earth. The sun didn’t come up as the moon faded from view, joining the stars. But, shifts changed, the rooms beside them filled and emptied, lunch bells went off; plans were prepared, meetings held, and decisions made. When Dib finally fell away from unconsciousness, stretching and yawning, avoiding opening his eyes until he felt his hand brush against skin that wasn’t his.

“Oh.” Dib murmured, squinting at the alien next to him. Their legs were intertwined and he must’ve gotten cold because they were practically flush together. “Sorry.” The human struggled sleepily to untangle himself without falling off the bed. Outside, the harsh Irken language could be heard in busied exchanges, along with the hurried footsteps of Irkens who had places to be. It always seemed like an Irken was running late for something.

Zim blinked groggily, coming out of the daze he had worked his way into while Dib was sleeping. He only grunted in reply before sitting up with a groan. “We have a busy day today. Are you well rested?”

Dib snatched up his glasses from the other side of the bed-thingy, fumbling with them for a second before finally getting them to sit right on his nose and blinking, blurrily around the room (which looked as boring as it had before) and then back at Zim. “Right. Busy day. Yes, I’m fully charged.” Clearing his throat so that he could speak without sounding like a 80 year old smoker, Dib rolled off the mat and did his best to fix his hair and smooth down the wrinkles from his shirt that he picked off the floor and wriggled into it. There was nothing that looked like a mirror, so Dib turned on his heel and held out his arms to show the alien. “Do I look presentable enough to meet your leaders?”

Zim looked the boy over, his eyes lingering on the wrinkles, slightly bloodstained shirt, the pants a saggy mess the barely seemed to be holding together as it was. Zim clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Not even close,” He walked over to Dib, grabbing his sleeve and dragging him towards the door. “If we are going to do this, you are not going to shame Zim by looking like that.” Without waiting for Dib to respond, Zim opened the door and rushed out into the hallway, where other Irkens were leaving their rooms as well. The busy aliens nearly stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the human, their mouths falling open. Zim would have felt smug, if they didn’t have more pressing matters to worry about.

Holding Dib by the wrist, Zim marched his way down the winding corridors. He pushed away any Irken that stopped in his way to gawk, only giving a small mutter as a warning. Whispers came from all around them as the clueless aliens wondered what that thing was doing here, being led by such a short Invader. Eventually, they came to a large set of double doors, where Zim stopped and turned on his heel to face Dib.

“Normally, this isn’t something other meat-bags—er aliens, would get the privilege to experience, but in this case I think we can make an exception.” Hitting the release button, the doors slid open with a hiss, revealing a large, nearly empty room. As with the rest of the ship, magenta was a favored color. The walls were asymmetrical, and loomed over them as Zim marched into the room. Against the far wall, hooked up by large wires and surrounded by even larger clear tubes, was a strange machine. It was cylindrical in shape, with a hollow center on display through a glass-like (what appeared to be) door.

Taking his place to a control panel seated a few feet away from the machine, Zim turned back to Dib. “This machine will choose some Irken clothes that will fit you.” He explained. “Just step inside and hold still.” Smacking a large red button, the glass-like door slid open, the machine whirring to life. “Oh and…you might want to strip down,” Zim added, waving a hand to gesture Dib’s ratty clothes. “To get an accurate scan.”

“What? Strip? Uhhh. Like…” He scratched his head. “Down to my underwear right? No, more than that…hopefully. Zim?” He didn’t really think he was um…self conscious because Dib never thought that he was Yanno, hideous or anything. But, the idea of being fully naked in a strange place where the air was pretty cold and in front of Zim who, to be honest, Dib kind of liked in a much more than healthy way and he was _human_. Humans looked weird naked. And this was not how he’d imagined Zim would see him naked for the first time…not that he’d ever imagined that Zim would see him naked.

Zim tapped his claws against the panel, rolling his eyes a bit. “Dib-worm, even if I knew what underwear was, I’d still need you to take it off.” He turned back to the panel and fussed with the settings bit, accommodating for the human’s height. Zim shouldn’t have been surprised that Dib would make this a bigger deal than it needed to be. Granted, Zim wasn’t all too excited about the thought, himself. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious…

“This is really no time to be playing modest. Besides, I will do the same after you.” He turned back to Dib, motioning to his own bloodstained clothes. “I'm isn’t exactly ‘Tallest ready’, either. I’m missing a boot, for Irk’s sake.” Placing a hand on an inviting green button, he looked at Dib expectantly. “The sooner the better, Earth-worm.”

Dib glanced down at Zim’s feet. He really was missing a boot. Why was that slightly funny? Maybe it was because anything besides stripping down himself seemed hilarious. Chewing on his bottom lip, Dib fought the urge to groan in frustration and embarrassment. _‘Stop being a baby.’_

“Fine. Could you…like turn around or something? No, you know what. Turn around or I’ll make you.” Maybe he had to get naked and maybe Zim had to see him in order to type in the directions or whatever but, Dib was _not_ taking off his clothes while the alien watched.

Only slightly disappointed—no, wait, why would Zim be disappointed? He wasn’t; Dib was gross. Just all over gross. He was a human after all. Just because they kissed didn't negate that fact. Zim rolled his eyes again, the light orbs shimmering in the dull light, and turned on his heel back towards the panel. “Fine, just let Zim know when you are in the scanner.” He grunted, tapping his boot against the hard metal floor. Zim had to refrain from peeking over his shoulder as he heard the rustling of clothing being slid off of skin. He waited until he got the OK until finally pushing the green button.

The machine sprang into action with the door sliding shut, encasing Dib in its belly. The sound of something spinning, slowly at first but picking up speed, came from the very top of the cylinder before opaque red beams shot down and covered Dib’s bare skin in a grid-like fashion. The tiny squares danced over the human, spinning and rotating until finally disappearing, the loud machine giving a sigh it analyzed the information it had received.  
Hardly a moment later and a loud hissing noise was accompanied by a smooth canister being dropped from one of the large tubes that wound around the machine.

“There, pick that up and get dressed.” Zim barked, still looking down at the panel.  
Raising a curious eyebrow, Dib ignored how his face felt too hot, as he stepped from the machine and back into the cool air, picking up the weighted canister and popping it open. Inside he found several articles of clothing, neatly folded and warm, smelling brand new. Oh and Zim wasn’t lying when he said he had no idea what underwear were, there was none to be found.

Dib chewed his bottom lip; did he wear his old ones or go commando? A quick glance at the ones in the pile of the rest of his clothes, revealed that they were slightly ratty and it seemed a shame to wear those with his brand new digs. That decided, he slipped on the pants, though they were more like leggings, that had a flexible but hard material in the knees. They fit, but were very…tight. Dib’s face screwed up in a faint expression of disgust as he slid on the black long sleeved shirt.If it could even be called that. It was also very tight and went up to his neck. The shoulders and stomach had the same flexible but, hard material. He figured it must cover the most vulnerable parts of irken anatomy. Aside from that, long stripes of a dark magenta fit over the arms and legs,criss crossing in simple patterns. This must be a type of formal wear, Dib guessed. It didn't seem similar to what the other irken's he had seen were wearing.

Finally, Dib slid on the boots, which fit perfectly and arched to his feet and then the gloves. His entire ensemble was black. And tight. Too tight.  He felt like he was wearing a second skin. “Okay. You can look now.”

Zim sighed in annoyance and impatience, finally looking up. Dib had to drag everything out, like some sort of big reveal. Zim blinked, his throat seeming dry as he tried to speak. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “Not bad. Much better than those ratty Earth clothes.” He shrugged a bit. “How does it feel? It’s the best in Irken outfitting. I don’t see you doing any intense battle in the near future so it seemed fitting.” He explained as he fiddled with the controls to match his own height, which was a dramatic difference in this case. He waved Dib over, pointing to the green button before peeling off the top of his tattered uniform. “Press that when I give the OK.” He ordered and limped over to the machine, taking his leggings off with tender care, as to not agitate his wound.

He wondered briefly if he should tell Dib not to look, but figured it was a bit late for that, and then wondered if Dib even WAS looking. He wanted to glance back, but feared that the human’s eyes would be on him, after all. He wasn’t sure why, exactly, that bugged him. Perhaps it was because the human had made such a big deal out of it.

Dib kept his eyes to the ground the whole time despite the urge to look. Maybe Zim didn’t really care about modesty but, Dib did.

Zim limped into the machine, shouting at Dib to hit the button. The same dramatic sequence and Zim was provided his own canister. In it, was a getup much like Dib’s with some minor details added to the fabric; the Invader emblem printed boldly across his chest. Some gloves and boots, and Zim was good as new. “Much better.” He breathed, patting himself over, savoring the fresh fabric against his skin.

 When the whole process was over, he glanced back up and nearly swallowed his tongue. The clothes were just as tight on Zim but, these looked made for him to wear. Obviously these clothes were for Irkens and not humans because they hugged Zim’s legs and conformed to his hips and ribs, like black liquid around his neck and arms. It was smooth and yet, showed every sharp angle.

“Umm. Yeah.” Dib huffed, self consciously rubbing his arm. “Are we ready _now_ …?”

Zim wrung his hands together as he thought. “Yes, I suppose.” He muttered, walking over to the pile of gross clothing and kicking them over with a distasteful look on his face. He nudged them over to the far corner of the room, where he pressed a dimly lit button on the wall. The floor gave way and warm light poured into the room. He nudged the clothes into the opening, where a puff of smoke poured out at they were incinerated. The floor closed back up with another push of the button and Zim turned his attention back towards the human.

“They are going to ask you to speak (maybe),” Zim explained, walking back to Dib and taking the time to fuss with the mess on his head that he called hair. “Do you have any idea what you are going to say?”

Dib was still thinking about his once favorite shirt, now ashes before glancing down just as Zim’s gloved hands began messing around with his hair. Blinking as six fingers tugged and caressed, flopping through the mess, he struggled to think clearly. Which was stupid. This was important, Dib. He reached up and grabbed the alien’s wrists, pulling them away from his head.

“Hey, tall alien guys, I’ve heard you want to take over my planet. That isn’t cool with me. I propose a compromise, in that you can have what you want from my planet as long as it doesn’t interfere with the creatures that live there and/or the geography and resources. In order to make sure this exchange is serious and will be held accountable, I offer up myself as a place holder. In my union with your Invader Zim, hopefully our civilizations can be one and everyone will go home happy.”

Zim stared up at Dib in utter disbelief. Taking his hands back, Zim stomped with his good foot.

“That was terrible! You will show my leaders the respect they deserve. You will refer to them as The Almighty Tallest and nothing else! Stand up straight,” Zim added, gripping Dib’s shoulders and pushing them back. “Wipe that goofy look off your face, don’t JUST stand there; stand ready! Stand as if you are prepared for anything! Irkens are a fighting race, and we do not respect the weak!” Zim declared, pacing around Dib with a hawk’s eye, looking for anything that would seem out of place. “Speak with a strict tone, loudly and clearly. Use that height to your advantage! Puff out your chest a little bit!” Zim added as he grabbed Dib’s ribs from behind, pushing him forward a bit.

“You are Dib, heir to the mighty Membrane Empire, and you will get what you demand!” Zim circled around to face Dib, confidence and determination burning in his eyes. “Now let’s hear it!”

Dib was poked and prodded, shove and tugged and after the whole thing was over with Zim standing in front of him with an extremely obnoxious and stubborn look on his face, Dib was fighting the urge to smile. This was serious. Very, very serious. The fate of all of mankind was resting on his shoulders but…

“You’re an idiot.” He announced, watching Zim stomp around and huff, puff, shaking his hips and waving his arms about in that new uniform. “And I kind of want to kiss you.”  
  
Zim’s shoulders sagged and he let out a huff, all the energy he had put forward falling flat on the ground at Dib’s remark.

“Dib-worm, this is serious.” He straightened out and tried to regain some of the determination he had built up, but Dib had that insanely happy look on his face. The corners of his mouths were fighting off the smile that Zim could already see in those tawny eyes. He looked too happy to be in this position, and Zim wanted to slap the giddy out of him, but knew it wouldn’t do any good. He waved his hands a bit in defeat.

“Well, if it’ll help…just...” He let out a desperate sounding grunt and grabbed Dib’s shoulder’s, bringing him down to mash their mouths together. Anything to keep that stupid smile from washing away Zim’s resolve. Thinking about it now, though, he realized kissing him wasn’t helping much, either. He all but melted against the human as their lips found a working rhythm.

Groaning, Dib pulled the Irken flush against him, devouring Zim’s mouth, knowing that this was hardly what they needed to be doing right now, what with the fate of his planet in the balance…but there had been this _need_ growing in his stomach. They wobbled a bit, as he felt himself taking in the alien’s air and enthusiasm. Nipping Zim’s bottom lip, a final time, Dib stepped away, panting a bit.

“Okay. Um. Excuse me , Almighty Tallest, I’ve heard you want to take over my planet and while I’m sure you have your reasons, I also have my reasons for wishing to keep it safe. I propose a compromise, in that you can have anything from my planet that you desire as long as it doesn’t interfere with the creatures that live there or harm the geography or resources. In order to make sure this exchange is valid, I offer up myself, for I am heir to the Membrane Empire, the most powerful operation on Earth and in my union with your Invader Zim, our civilizations can be one and everyone will get what they need.”

Dib took a deep breath of air, feeling the axis of his universe, settle. “There. Was that better?”

Zim nodded a bit, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. “That’s better. Just remember what I told you.” He took in a deep breath, feeling light headed for too many reasons. He hadn’t realized how much he actually needed that. “Remember; confidence is strength, and strength is respect.”

Squaring his shoulders, and taking a moment to wipe away a stray hair from Dib’s forehead, he grabbed the boy’s wrist and led the way out of the chamber. He felt as though he were marching through molasses; his whole body dreaded the inevitable encounter, and he had to fight to keep a steady pace. He had no idea what was going to happen, if the Tallest were even going to grant them council or not, or even if they would agree.

Zim hadn’t planned on that. What if the treaty is granted? A sliver of hope shone through at the thought. Zim wouldn’t have to tell Dib that Earth is doomed, and he wouldn’t be upset with him. Wait, was Zim actually hoping that this worked? He had to force himself not to think about it; instead he kept his mind busy with concentrating on keeping a steady march.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My co-author Lil-Banshee drew a comic for a part of this chapter.  
> http://lil-banshee.tumblr.com/image/50109629171
> 
> I tried to imbed it here, but I'm shit at that code stuff. So, go see how great of an artist, as well as a writer, she is.


	17. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first thing that Dib noticed was the two aliens who sat in the very center, seated high up on what could only be called thrones.

Ahead of them, the hallway closed around a large door, guarded on each side with taller Irkens armed with sharp staffs that glowed faintly with warm electricity. Zim approached with determination set, his brow furrowed and he came to a halt between them.  
“I am Invader Zim, and in subject of the mission to overtake Earth, I demand a council with the Almighty Tallest.”

The guards exchanged looks before one of them pulled out a small communication device that fit in the palm of his gloved hand. “Uh, Sirs, Zim is here to see you.” An almost audible groan came from the other side of the door, followed by a long silence, thick with anticipation. Something murmured from the device the guard held, to which he answered, “I’m not sure, but he has an alien with him. A tall one.” The guard gave Dib a double take before another long pause. Another murmur from his palm and he nodded. “Alright, they’ll see you.” And with that, the doors slid open for them, Zim giving a nod to Dib before marching forward.

Swallowing back his nervousness, Dib stood as straight as possible, glancing sideways at the guards who seemed to be fairly intimidated by him which was nice. If they thought that he was tall, just how tall were these Tallest?

They came into a large, circular room with a gigantic window near the front in which you could see all of the space ahead of them. Many Irkens were seated around a half circle control panel, illuminated by flashing buttons and screens. It was dim in there otherwise. But, the first thing that Dib noticed was the two aliens who sat in the very center, seated high up on what could only be called thrones. Floating thrones.

They were…tall. Dib didn’t know if it was because they were higher than everyone else up on their platform or if they actually were just that gigantic. They were different than any of the other of the Irkens, with armor that shined in the lights, each dressed in a different color; red and purple. It matched their eyes. These were the leaders. The air around them felt regal, with an whiff of arrogance. They ruled the largest empire in the universe. They controlled a billion pawns. Masters of a machine that could reign havoc at the snap of their fingers. Flip the switch and a swarm of loyal drones would do anything they said.

The two leaders watched as the human and the invader stepped into the threshold, the red one sipping a soda and the other chewing on what almost looked like a tray of nachos. Dib couldn’t help staring at everything, eyes flickering from place to place, taking everything in with bated breath. All at once it didn’t feel real.

He would just wake up in the middle of science class, a desk full of drool as the bell rang. But, they kept walking, his legs shaking. And Dib wanted to grab Zim’s hand but, knew that would be really stupid so he clenched his hands into fists by his sides, raised his chin and kept his face as blank as possible.

The two at the center of the room, the ones with so much power you could practically see the strings they pulled at their fingertips, stared at the human with interest. Though they tried not to let themselves seem _too_ interested.

“My Tallest,” Zim greeted bowing his head, his antennae pressed flat against his scalp. He looked at Dib, putting a hand on his shoulder and pushing him down, gently. “Give them a bow.” He whispered. Bringing his attention back to his leaders, his held his arms out wide. “My leaders, I apologize for returning early and without success on taking over Planet Earth. But I have, in my possession, a powerful Earthling who has requested a council with you.”

The purple Tallest was the first to speak, with his mouth full of nacho-like treats. His voice was a bit muffled as he talked around his mouthful of food. “Are all of these….’Earthlings’ this tall?” He asked, sitting forward in his seat with his scrutinizing gaze narrowed in on Dib.

“Why, no, actually! The Dib is one of the tallest on the planet.” Zim grinned, though it was a bit shaky around the corners. He knew that was a lie, but it would help. Dib did as requested and kneeled a bit, dipping his head before glancing back up through his lenses.

Dib spoke, hoping that somehow they understood him. Zim seemed to be able to.

“Besides my father at least. Who is leader of one of earth’s largest empires. I am his heir.” After what he felt was a decent amount of time, Dib stood up straight again. “It’s an honor to meet you.“

The red Tallest glanced back and forth from Zim and then back to the alien. “Indeed. Now, what are you requesting council for? I imagine it must be important for our Invader to have been compromised enough to bring you here.”

“My leaders, Dib here has an interesting proposition for you, if you would hear him out.” Zim motioned to Dib, taking a step closer to his beloved Tallest. The other Irkens had slowed in their work, being drawn into the conversation that was already hard to ignore. It was unheard of for an Invader to return with one of the people they intended to conquer. They pretended to work as they listened, though the Tallest didn’t seem to notice, or care. 

Zim’s jaw clenched a bit as the Purple leader leaned in close to his companion, talking in a low voice. “Do we really want to hear him out? I mean…Earth doesn’t really hold any interest for us. What’s even on Earth, anyway?”

Dib raised his chin a bit more as the alien got into his face, meeting his eyes square on, trying to ignore how his hands were shaking. This was it. This was saving the Earth. His people. Red slightly, touched Purple’s shoulder to pull him back. “Well, how will we know unless we listen huh, Pur?” He sipped his drink and nodded. “Go ahead, tell us what you’re here for.”

Dib swallowed around his tongue which felt like it was swollen. For Earth. “First, some background. My father’s organization managed to capture your Invader. As heir I was learning the ropes of maintaining the Empire, when I found out they were keeping Zim captured. I helped him escape and upon learning that his true goal on my planet was to Invade and conquer, I knew I couldn’t sit by while it happened.” He was used to talking. Talking was easy. Getting people to listen was harder. But, Dib felt better once he got on a role. He used what knowledge he had of what the irkens found valuable to create his tale.

“You must be planning on conquering my planet for a reason. We have many resources. Everything from lasers that cut through the hardest of elements to organisms that take the most harmful of substances and consume them like nothing. We have people with strong backs and eager minds. There are a multitude of sweets. We grow tons of sugar cane and have entire factories dedicated to things like chips and gummy candy. My people are restless, always growing and changing. But, we are worth it.”

Dib took a deep breath and stood up as tall as he could. “My father own around 85% of all companies that run my planet. From military to food companies, though mainly he is a man of science. I am valuable. In order to save my planet, I propose a union. You will have anything you like from Earth, as long as it does not interfere with the people there and to keep this promise I will be unified with your Invader Zim.”

It felt like his heart was beating out of his chest, like the air was being sucked from the room as all the eyes were on him. Every irken wasn’t even pretending to work anymore, staring at the strange tongued alien who was trying to save his species. This hadn’t happened in many, many years. in fact, had it ever happened? There hadn’t been anyone who had been brave enough or who had convinced an Invader that they were worth saving.

Tallest Red kept his face blank, looking at their Invader who honestly wasn’t much of one and then back to the alien. Then at his co-ruler… Purple sat back in his seat, returning his companion’s glance. Zim chewed the inside of his cheek, though he kept his back straight. He looked over at the human, who was tense and rightfully so. He reached out and clamped a hand over his shoulder in reassurance.

“That was good,” He whispered. “Could have left out the whole capturing me thing, but it was good.” He added with a slight nod.The 

“Zim,” Purple finally spoke up. “This is quite the proposition you’ve brought before us. If what your strange alien friend says is true, then maybe Earth does have something to offer. But we will need to talk this over and make sure that this is a decision we want to make. You are asking us to put one of our invaders, albeit not one of our best, out of commission for the sake of this planet, when we are fighting for power; full galactic conquest. This decision will take some time.” He crossed his long, spindly fingers together as he talked. “So…I don’t know. Go make yourself useful around the ship for a bit while we talk it over. And for Our sake, Zim, try not to break anything.” He added with a bit of an exasperated tone.

Zim could only nod as he listened, knowing this was out of his hands now. He cursed himself for being in this position at all. “Thank you, my Tallest.” He gave another bow before grabbing Dib’s arm and ushering him towards the door.

There was cotton in his ears, so all that Dib could really comprehend was that they were moving and he no longer had to stand like he was a statue, waiting until the doors closed behind them and they were half way down the hallway and back to their room before beginning to hyperventilate. “Oh…” He’d done it. Spoken to the leaders from another word and tried to make peace. He’d done something no one else had done before. At least he’d tried. Now it was out of his hands.

“I…I can’t…” Everything was a bit fuzzy. Dib stopped and leaned against a metal wall, taking deep breaths and trying to get his shit together. When the sensation passed, he blinked and glanced down at Zim. “I did okay? It was okay?”

“It doesn’t matter now, but yes.” Zim nodded, watching the human fuss about. “It’s out of our hands now, and all we can hope for is that they are feeling especially generous today.” He admitted with a bit of a shrug. “It seems to have taken a bit out of you; do you need to rest?” Zim worried his hands over Dib’s flushed face and neck, making sure that he wasn’t going to faint on him. It was a bit frustrating to see how easily excitable Dib was, like at any given moment he was going to keel over from any little thing. But at the same time, it was something Zim couldn’t help but admire about him.

Zim was rubbing his hands all over his face and Dib snickered, and grabbed his wrists. “I’m fine. Stop that.” Panting only slightly now, he half smiled. Zim looked a bit frazzled himself but, Dib figured that was partially because he’d just met with his leaders. “Hey, is there any food around here? I’m starving.”

“Food?” Zim repeated with a scoff, drawing his hands to himself. “Human, this is the Massive you are talking about.” He answered with a snarky grin and led them out of their room. As they walked down the halls, Zim began to feel a bit more relaxed. He had grown used to the other Irkens staring, and even found a bit of pride in it. Not to mention that the encounter he had been dreading was finally over with, and he was feeling pretty good. Maybe things would turn out alright, after all.

“Remember what I told you about Irkens and snacking? Well you are now on a ship filled with Irkens, so what do you think we have for food on here?”


	18. Cafeteria Drama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You underestimate me, Dib-worm! I won’t let you win so easily.”

The walk was sort of a long one, taking them to the bowels of the ship. It was without a doubt the busiest area of the ship, with Irkens rushing about, but with more of a spring in their step with promise of food. “We do get our own rations for snacks, but seeing as how you might need it a bit more than I do, you can have some of mine.”

“Umm. Thanks.” Dib replied distractedly, watching the Irkens swarm by and being surprised at how he could see over all their heads. When they finally reached the ‘cafeteria’, he exhaled at how big it was. It was the Massive of course but, still, everything was huge. Everything from the ceilings to the line to get food. Although the smell of cheese and all sorts of sugary confections was more than enough to have him salivating. It felt like he hadn’t eaten in weeks.

Zim nodded. “Yes, generous, I know. No need to thank me.” Zim waved a hand as they made their way to the line. “It’s actually pretty slow, at the moment. This won’t take long at all, you’ll see.” Zim said, though it was more directed to himself. Within minutes he was tapping his foot, grunting impatiently. “No, this is taking too long! We are awaiting important news from the Tallest themselves; we don’t have time to be waiting around for food!” He growled and clenched his fists. Turning to look up at Dib, he grinned a bit as a plan formed. “Dib, you can make your way through this crowd easily! Get in front of me and get us through to the front.”

Dib was much more patient than Zim and even though he was hungry, he also understood, yanno that lines were there so everyone had their fair share without it being chaos. “Um…but, what about everyone else?” Not that he wouldn’t mind cutting and all, but still.

“Plus, just because I’m taller doesn’t mean I’m—“ Just as he was talking a much taller Irken cut through the smaller ones at the front, grabbed a tray and walked away. No one even seemed to notice. Huh. On earth there would’ve been a freaking conniption. Shrugging, Dib pulled Zim behind him. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Zim chuckled triumphantly; latching his fingers onto the fabric of Dib’s uniform so as to not get separated in the crowd. The much shorter aliens, though most being taller than Zim, almost reluctantly moved aside for the human. They didn’t recognize him as any alien they had seen, and while they didn’t normally allow other aliens Irk customs, he WAS on the massive and not in handcuffs. Not to mention he was wearing Irken clothing, which was also odd, and elicited curious mumbles throughout the crowd in ripples.

They reached the front in half the time it would have taken them if they had waited. Zim sprang up to the counter, it barely reaching his armpits. He threw his arms up and pulled himself onto the smooth surface.

“Yes, now we can get my food and get out of here. Er…OUR food.” A smooth cable snaked out of his PAK and connected with the machine that guarded the counter. After a short while,the cable and retracted, Zim having used his rations given to him by default, and was rewarded a small ration of glorious junk food. “There, now get us out of here.” Zim ordered, scooping the food up.

“Yes, Sir.” Dib replied in good humor, grabbing Zim by the elbow and squeezing them out through the crowd. “Are we eating in here or back in the room?” He asked, mumbling some apologies to a few Irkens as he bumped through them.

“Well I had planned on leaving, but thinking about it now, maybe it is best we stay in here a little while. We might as well get you used to the ship, seeing as how you might be here a while.” Zim answered thoughtfully as he looked around. He handed over the food, nearly shoving it in Dib’s chest. “Here, take this and go sit down,” He ordered, pointing a cluster of seats in the distance. “I forgot something.” He murmured before disappearing into the crowd.

Raising an eyebrow, Dib took the tray that was thrown at him and made his way through the crowd till he found a group of empty chairs and took a seat, lifting up a bottle that looked like some sort of fizzy drink with a nondescript label. He popped the cap and hesitantly took a swig. Seconds later he cringed. It was sweet. Very,very sweet. It was almost like pure sugar. Surely, he would get cavities after this. Dib waited a bit and then took another drink. It wasn’t as bad the second time.

He thought about what Zim had said. That he might be on the Massive for a while. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. It was incredibly fascinating and he would love to study it and the irken sociology. But, the stares and whispers were kind of getting under his skin. He felt like a fish out of water. 

A harsh click of Irken from right behind him, had Dib turning and nearly falling out of his chair. There was quite a few of them around their table. Five tallish Irkens were talking to each other. They were bigger than Zim anyway, at least by half a foot. Dib understood a few of the words with his very basic mastery of the irken language; tall, alien, touch, dare…uh. Not good. Clearing his throat, the teenager stood to his full height, hoping that maybe that would deter them from messing with him.

Of course, it didn’t. If there was one prominent feature in every Irken, it was stubbornness. Unfortunately, it was something Zim shared with his Irken peers. The Irkens that had surrounded Dib didn’t falter, their smirks and grins only widening as they talked among themselves, their eyes never leaving the human. Their words became more frantic as they began nudging each other, dangerous laughter and chuckles coming from the ones that dared to get closer to the human.

A loud bark coming from the crowd caused them to turn their heads. Zim, fighting his way from the last layer of the thick crowd, glared at the Irkens surrounding his human.  
“Get away from him!” He ordered, throwing the packets of what appeared to be sauce down on the table before marching up to them. They towered over him, but that didn’t stop him from puffing out his chest and getting in the tallest Irken’s face. “Are we going to have a problem here?” He growled.

One of the tallest Irkens, stepped forward and looked down his ‘nose’ at Zim, growling back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Drone. We’re just trying to get a good look at the alien. Why? Does that bother you?” He clicked harshly. His peers laughed and the circle tightened. Dib sneered and took his own step forward, standing next to Zim. He was a few inches taller than the tallest Irken.

“DRONE?!” Zim seethed, standing up on his toes. “You have no idea who you are talking to!? I am ZIM! Invader Zim?!” He pointed an accusing finger to the tall one he was huffing at. A ripple of recognition went through the small swarm that surrounded them, though they didn’t seem particularly impressed. “We are in direct business with the Tallest, so you’d better not start anything, and keep your grubby mitts off the Dib!” Zim continued, hoping to throw them off, or impress them. Maybe a bit of both.

The mention of the Tallest was enough to have them considering their actions. The Irken hissed. “The Dib? Is that it’s species? What sort of business could a puny thing like you and a alien have with the Tallest?” Dib was only catching words here and there, working to make sense of them, twist them into sentences. It was all he could do but wish that he could speak Irken so he could tell off these idiots.

“What’s it to you?” Zim scowled, causing the taller Irken to step closer, his stomach almost touching Zim’s chest.

“Well I just want to know if we’ll be expecting a new drone down here. This place needs some customer service.” He smirked. “What other business would the Tallest want with you? You being an Invader was a mistake, after all. Everyone knows that.” Zim’s jaw clenched as he growled, his eyes glaring daggers into the Irken in front of him, who was un-phased.

“And what will become of your little pet, I wonder? No doubt their new play-thing.” He reached out toward Dib, as if to touch him, but he didn’t have the chance before Zim was on him.

“I’ll teach you to speak filthy lies about the Tallest!” Zim screeched as he pounced, his gloved claws closing over the Irken’s face. The small crowd jumped back in surprise, only watching as Zim mauled their friend. The other Irkens scrambled backwards as soon as the fighting started. Most of them were trained in combat but, the thing is that as soldiers they were taught to use weapons, their pak, not hand to hand. Zim was playing a field that his combatant had never even glanced at before. It was primitive and bizarre and kind of terrifying. 

Dib yelled and, at risk to his limbs, wrapped his hands around Zim’s arms and pulled him back as hard as possible against his chest. As soon as he was restrained, the other Irkens scrambled. “You’re crazy!” They yelled. “Defective.” They spat as they ran.

The human held his irken against his chest as he flailed about, still shouting and trying to claw at anyone near him. “Calm down, you hot head!”

Zim kicked and hissed and cursed, his cheeks flush with anger as he was restrained. He wanted to whip around and claw at whatever was restraining for preventing him from defending himself and his leaders and Dib. Finally, his frantic mumbling slowed to a stop, and he was left panting in Dib’s arms. Still a bit tense he gave one final snort before speaking in a coherent tone.

“You can let go of me, now.” His voice still dripped with acid as he glared at nobody in particular.

Dib hesitated for only half a second before he nodded and loosened his hold, letting the Irken’s feet touch the floor again and let go. “So uh, what did you go get? Or was that all for nothing?” He said, sitting back down in the table as though nothing had happened, taking a small sip of his soda and beginning to check out the food.

Zim scooped up the packets he had gone back to get and tossed them at Dib. “I can’t leave you alone for a millisecond without you getting into trouble.” He grumbled and plopped down at the table. “You’re like a smeet I have to care for.” He held his head in his hands, still seething from the encounter. “Did they say anything to you?” He asked after a moment of silence.

Dib picked up a packet, looking at it unimpressed before looking back at Zim with a raised eyebrow. “No. They didn't say anything." _That I understood anyway._ "Just stood around like a bunch of idiots, elbowing each other.” It was actually quite familiar. It wasn't like Dib thought himself particularly special in his bullying experience. Everyone went through that. Kids were mean.

The food actually looked pretty great. Except the second he had it in his mouth, he could feel himself getting diabetes. Dib’s face scrunched up. “Wow, this stuff is sweet.” He coughed into his fist, and took another bite of what was almost like taffy. “Are _you_ okay?”

“You should have heard the lies they told.” Zim shook his head, fiddling with one of the packets, squeezing the contents of it in his fingers. After a while, he sighed a tossed the packet down, laying his arms over the table and watching Dib eat. “It doesn't matter,” He said, finally. “I know what the truth is. They all envy my closeness with the Tallest, so they spread horrible, untrue rumors.” He looked down at the tray of food and used his gloved fingers to pick a little off and pop it into his mouth. “Does the food suit you?”

Dib chewed, getting used to the overly sweet flavor, and nodded slowly. It was quiet between them for a few seconds besides the Irkens swarming everywhere, talking and chewing. He swallowed. “What did they uh…say exactly?” Then Dib realized that maybe it was a touchy subject. “Um, if you want to talk about it, that is.”

Zim groaned a bit and licked the sugary syrup that was left off his glove before speaking.  
“They say that I am not a real Invader.” He admitted in a low voice. “Whatever that’s supposed to mean.” He slammed his fists on the table, sitting up quickly as he felt the frustration bubble up inside of him. “I was the one who destroyed the most in the first Impending Doom operation! So what if my infiltration on Earth was going a bit slower than the other Invaders? I know what I’m doing! I’m a fearless, conquering machine, obviously!”

With a final huff, Zim deflated, laying his head on the table and going limp. These were things he had to deal with his whole life, and while they never bothered him before, it was a bit of a pain to put up with. He knew none of it was true; he knew he was great. But sometimes it caught up to him. It didn’t help that Dib was here, watching him and hearing all of it.

Dib blinked, licking the syrup of his own finger before speaking. “Well uh, as long as you know it, it doesn’t matter what those idiots think. There’s a reason you’re an Invader and they’re a bunch of pathetic cows that follow each other without a second thought. You think for yourself and you seemed pretty fearless when we were on Earth.” Dib nodded, taking another bite and washing it down with a drink of soda. He shifted his legs under the table since it was kind of short for him and a bit cramped.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Zim nodded a bit, leaning up on his elbows. His antennae perked up a bit and the bud of a smirk formed on his face. “You thought I was fearless?” He asked, the pride practically oozing off his words. He jolted a bit when Dib stretched out under the table, their boots knocking together. He pushed back against his boots in retaliation.

Dib half smirked, raising an eyebrow at the arrogance in Zim’s voice as well as the alien’s foot pushing back against his. “Well…yeah. You were loud and slightly scary, hypnotic and you didn’t seem to be afraid despite the fact that you were locked in a giant lab like a rat. I would be terrified.” He shifted and pressed back against the Irken, feeling slightly mischievous.

“Of course you would be,” Zim grinned. “You’re not an Invader.” He answered with an air of smugness. It was safe to say the tiny Irken found pride in his status. His eyes narrowed a bit and he pushed back, his boots slipping between Dib’s with a small squeak.

Dib chuckled and shook his head. "Well, good to know your ego is safe." The alien had taken his bait, falling right where he wanted him. Dib trapped Zim's foot between his two, holding it there. "But, you have fallen into my trap, Invader."

Zim jolted, his antennae springing forward. “Wha—hey!” He fidgeted in his seat, trying to free his foot. He hooked the toes of his other boot around Dib’s ankle, trying to pry it away. “You underestimate me, Dib-worm! I won’t let you win so easily.” Win what? What were they even doing? Zim wasn’t sure, but the mischievous twinkle in those golden eyes egged him on, and Zim couldn’t say no to them.

“Haha, Space-Boy! There’s no way I’m letting you go.” Dib held fast, smirking evilly. As casually as possible, he took another bite of his food, chewing as Zim tried to pry his foot out of the human’s hold. “You’re mine now.”

Zim tried to glare, but it fell flat. “Zim belongs to know one!” He stated loudly as he continued to struggle. He was now using the table as leverage, gripping and leaning on it as he tried to prey his foot away. He grunted and tried to kick the human’s foot away from his.

Dib snickered and let the alien go. "Calm down. You're going to hurt yourself, moron." he sipped the last of his soda and set it back down on the table. "So uh...if this whole thing works out...when are we gonna do it and how does this whole marriage thing work? I know on my planet there's usually a witness, vows and rings...what about for Irkens?"

Zim nearly fell out of his seat when his foot was released. He played off, looking around a bit and tucking his feet in under him. “Uh, no. It’s not like a human marriage,” Zim explained picking some more food off of Dib’s plate. “It’s an intimate setting, with only the two parties, and the control brains to witness. For Irkens, we link PAKs and send data back and forth. Sharing our most intimate selves with the other.” Zim popped the food into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

“In our case, we’d have to compromise. I could maybe download some of myself onto a chip and attach it.” He tapped the back of his neck to demonstrate where the chip would be placed. “But then there’s the question of how we’d be marked. Our PAKs usually have a code in them that identify us and our spouses after we’re married. We’d have to work around that. Maybe physically…” He trailed off in thought, picked at the food on Dib’s plate, but not taking any, just pushing it around.

Dib’s breath caught in his throat. He didn’t even notice when the Irken jacked some of his food, he was too busy thinking about this…’intimate’ setting. A chip in his neck… ”What about you? I would get some of your memories and stuff but, how would you get mine…that is…if you even want them? I just figured that was part of the whole…thing.” He trailed off, suddenly feeling self-conscious which was stupid. It had just occurred to him that well, Zim was an alien and much more interesting and had a billion memories whereas Dib was a teen whose life was kind of boring and…why on Earth would Zim want to see that if he didn’t have to?

Zim’s brow furrowed a bit. “Well…I suppose that comes with it. Not that I’m all that excited about having my PAK tampered with.” He shrugged. “I suppose there’s a way to get them out of that big cranium of yours.” Zim snickered as he continued to pick at Dib’s food, now constructing a little structure out of it. “We could cut it open. How about that?” He grinned and look up at Dib.

Dib flicked the little structure in the Irken's direction, giving him an unamused look. "Haha...and what about the physical stuff? Um, we could do tattoos or scars. Those are both permanent..." And would hurt. "Would you...put it on me?" Like the rings. And what if he could put one on Zim despite the whole pak thing? Why did that idea make his chest feel tight, his breathing harder?

Zim huffed and sat up, giving Dib a slight glare before his face melted into a soft thoughtful one. “Uhm. Yes.” He answered, simply. “It will be you and I performing the ceremony, with the control brain witnessing. I’ll being administering the markings, as you will on me. There’s no information in your organic brain that will be able to be identified in my PAK upon inspection. So like you, I will need a physical marking. And you will be administering that.” The thought made him shiver. He had to trust the human not to completely mar his beautiful Irken skin. But what choice did he have, after all.

 _Yes._ Dib’s traitorous mind whispered, he reached over and grabbed the alien’s hand, sliding his thumb across the skin between his fingers. “Is it weird that the idea of this is…” a turn on? Sexy as hell? Something that he’d never even have imagined he would enjoy the thought of considering yanno he was signing his freedom over to an alien? “amazing? And that I want to kiss you right now? Would that be bad? In front of all these irkens…”

Zim looked around a bit, but mainly to avoid that look the Dib was giving him. He looked frantically for something to help him, something to shield himself from those darkening golden eyes that were making the heat raise up in his cheeks.

“Well…we’ll probably be in union soon.” He thought out loud, worrying his bottom lip a bit. He finally dragged his gaze to meet Dib’s, all resolve melting under his warm stare. “So I guess it doesn’t matter.” His fingers laced themselves between Dib’s before he was even fully aware of it.

Zim sat up, leaning over the table, cautiously. He was fully aware of the Irken eyes that were glued to them, but the only eyes that mattered to him at the moment were heavy lidded and drawing him in.

Dib laughed breathlessly, licking his lips and realizing that they had half the cafeteria watching them from the whole fight thing and the fact that Dib was an alien and this was probably insane but, they weren’t exactly sane were they?

Zim’s eyes were darkening too and they drew him in, closer and closer like a lure until they were millimeters away and Dib could barely breathe. “Right where I want you, Space-boy.” He murmured before slanting his mouth over the alien’s, reaching across and intertwining their other hands. How insane was it that a few weeks ago he’d broken this moron out of his dad’s laboratory?

Zim chuckled warmly against Dib’s lips before they mashed together in a way that was becoming dangerously familiar. Startled gasps rang throughout the horde of Irkens with their eyes glued on them as Zim leaned over the table as best he good, his neck craned to meet Dib halfway. Two weeks ago Zim would have never even thought of displaying such affection in front of his Irken peers. What was Dib doing to him?

He couldn’t even think straight as their lips moved together, parting and mashing together rhythmically, their fingers laced together on the table top. His legs threatened to give out at the awkward angle he found himself in, but he ignored it. Not wanting to focus on anything but the human.


	19. Decision; Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The Tallest have made thei—” Was all he got out before Zim shoved him out of his way. 
> 
> “Great, let’s go!”

It was what the humans called ‘night’ again on the Massive and despite the fact that Dib had had his sleeping schedule messed up beyond any semblance of normal, he still needed to sleep and was doing so now.

After the cafeteria, they’d escaped and walked slowly back to their room which was luckily still vacant, and ended up talking for hours about nothing in particular and Dib had ended up giggling (because Zim was really a moron and Dib could sometimes be one too which resulted in some very interesting conversations) which was a new experience in and of itself. But, eventually the need for sleep had his eyelids drooping, head falling as he slumped down on the ‘mattress’ that they shared.

Zim turned his head back from the window, still laughing about whatever it was they were talking about before. He opened his mouth to say something, only to stop when he found the human passed out in front of him. He huffed a bit, but couldn’t say he was all that surprised.

Zim had done more than enough sleeping for his lifetime in the week that they spent in the voot, so he instead occupied himself by looking out the window. He wanted to demand that Dib wake up and keep him company, but figured he wouldn’t be the best company to have if he was falling asleep on him. So he let Dib have his rest. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before there was a loud banging at the door. Zim checked to make sure Dib was still asleep before hopping over him and to the door. One of the two body guards that they had seen earlier that day was waiting for him, and Zim knew exactly what he wanted before he even opened his mouth.

“The Tallest have made thei—” Was all he got out before Zim shoved him out of his way.

“Great, let’s go!” The shorter Irken barked as he made his way down the hall. The guard stumbled a bit before marching after Zim.

The hall seemed longer than he remembered from earlier; it took him years to finally reach the imposing door that harbored the fate of Earth behind it. Stopping to smooth out his features, steeling himself for what was about to come, Zim took in a deep breath. He ran his hands over his antennae, pressing them down before they popped back up. _‘Ok,’_ he thought. _‘There’s no way they can say no. Calm down, Zim.’_

The doors slid open and Zim marched in, his air of confidence never leaving him.

“My Tallest, you’ve made your decision.” Zim’s voice was as demanding as ever.  
The two leaders’ antenna cringed against their scalps. Sure, Irkens were loud by nature but, Zim just took things to a whole new level, always had. Red rubbed his temple and sighed. It had been a long night.

“Yes, Zim, yes we have. Now, will you use your indoor voice, the one we talked about a few rotations ago, remember?”

Zim faltered in his steps a bit as he tried to recall the talk his Tallest Red mentioned, but didn’t so he chose to ignore it. “The human will be pleased to hear of your decision to spare Earth,” He started quickly. “I promise your graciousness won’t be in vain!”

“Yeah, that’s nice.” Purple waved a hand. “Only, we’re going to destroy it, Zim.” He stated simply, an un-amused look in his deep purple eyes.

“Yes, I know! I’ll make sure he thanks you personally!” A slight pause. “Wait, what?”

Red raised an non-existent eyebrow. “We’ve decided to decline the Earthian’s proposal. The destruction of earth will go down as scheduled, Zim.” He took a sip from his soda, getting to the part where it made the horrible sucking sound.

“But—but—but!” Zim stammered. He held his hands in front of him in pleading. “Dib is heir to the strongest influence of mankind! They can build you weapons! They have so much to offer! Their planet has natural resources that you can harvest!” Zim reminded, hoping that those were things they had overlooked. Forgetting that those were the only points they had bothered to bring to the Tallest’ attention in their plea to begin with.

“Yeah, we don’t really care.” Purple remarked as he played with some annoying squeaky-toy passively. “We figured those are things we can get when we enslave them. Plus this way we won’t have to deal with _you_.”

Zim couldn’t believe it. His ‘spooch dropped to the lowest part of his gut. “M-my Tallest, please reconsider!” He begged, taking a step closer.

“No,” Purple denied, flatly. “That’s all, Zim. You can leave now.”

“My Tallest, please!” Why was Zim pressing so hard, now? Why did it matter so much? All he knew was that he couldn’t bring this news back to Dib.

“Zim, we have spent the whole day considering the proposal and it’s just not happening.” Red shrugged, snapping his fingers. “Sorry. Now stop questioning your Tallest and go away. It’s snack time.” A bunch of tiny Irkens rushed forward with an array of food and drinks while the Tallest both cheered, already forgetting about Earth and the Invader who stood before them.

Time slowed as Zim made his way out of the chamber in utter defeat. There was nothing else he could say to them to change their minds; they were even more stubborn than he was, after all. He felt like he was going to spit up his gut and pass out all at once. And the whole time, the same thought kept running through his mind, _‘What am I going to tell Dib?’_

Dib would surely want to leave and go back to Earth. He’d do all he could in preparation for the impending invasion. He’d want to leave. He’d want to leave Zim. No more kisses, no more hand holding. No more staying up and laughing, and conversations that made Dib giggle. No more warm cuddles. No more Dib.

This couldn’t happen.

Zim wouldn’t let it. He’d have to convince Dib to stay, but how?


	20. Decision; Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Thanks. You know, I couldn’t have done any of this without you. You’ve saved billions of people, Zim. My people. And for that, I owe you everything.”

Zim wasn’t even sure when he had arrived back at their room. He wasn’t even aware he had been walking; his legs were numb under him. Everything seemed to be standing still and spinning around him all at once. The whir of the door opening snapped him out of his haze, and he was faced with the human who was still sprawled out on the cot.

Dib almost seemed like he would wake up for a few seconds before the snoring continued (not that he would ever admit to snoring) and he turned onto his side, dangerously close to the edge of the bed. The human had no idea that his fate had just been decided by two tall alien leaders who were practically teenagers still in their culture. He slept peacefully, happily almost.

Zim leaned against the door at it slid closed, sliding down to the floor. He couldn’t wrap his mind around what was going to happen next. He tried to imagine Dib as he broke the news to him; panicked, worried. Upset, most likely.

Then again…

Dib had seemed to enjoy it here, with Zim. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, after all? Maybe Dib would decide to stay. Yeah, that seemed reasonable, didn’t it? He liked Zim, right, so how could he want to leave? Maybe he realized the Irken way was superior, and won’t give a second thought about Earth being taken over.

Zim felt optimistic, suddenly. He jumped off the floor and over to the sleeping human. His chest felt tight, though, and he tried to reassure himself inwardly, telling himself that Dib wouldn’t leave. Not after everything… “Dib-worm. Dib-worm wake up!” He shook his shoulder, sending the human’s head lolling back and forth against the cot.

“Mmm.” Dib groaned, cracking one eye open. In the dark all he could see was the outline of Zim’s silhouette and he yawned, not sure if he was ready to deal with the alien quite yet. “Yeah?” Sitting up and stretching, Dib shook the tiredness out of his system and realized that there could only really be one reason why Zim was here and so excited. But, that couldn’t be right? Had they already decided so fast? He figured it would take more than…what a few hours?

And just like that, all the confidence was sucked out of Zim in an instant. His resolve was crumbling to the floor around them the instant Dib cracked his eyes open. He opened his mouth to speak, but faltered. In the darkness, he could see what little light there was reflect off those honey colored eyes, the determination and excitement in them that Zim had ignited just by waking him up.

And before Zim even knew what he was doing, he spoke.

“They said yes!” He was grinning, even though his hands were shaking. What was he doing? Why couldn’t he stop himself from forming those words? What happened to all the reassurance he had built up?

Dib blinked for a few seconds, trying to fully comprehend the rush of emotions that were slowly building into a smile. “Th-that’s great! That’s freaking wonderful!” And then he was out of bed, fighting the urge to dance around. Earth was saved! Because of him! He wouldn’t have to worry about people dying or having to go back to his planet and there was the little problem of marrying an alien but, hey that was turning out pretty fantastic too wasn’t it? He laughed and grabbed Zim’s hands, almost wanting to spin the alien around.

“Thanks. You know, I couldn’t have done any of this without you. You’ve saved billions of people, Zim. My people. And for that, I owe you everything.”

Zim felt like he was being punched in the gut, and he grimaced at how wonderful Dib looked. He was so happy, it was like a light was turned on from inside of him, and it was radiating out of him and filling the room. And Zim wanted to sit in the darkness and beat himself up, but Dib wouldn’t even allow him that. The jerk. “Yeah, well.” Zim mumbled, looking down at their hands, his brow furrowed. “Don’t act so happy; you’ll make me regret it.”

“Seriously, Zim.” Dib whispered, lifting the Irken’s chin and kissing him chastely before pulling away and staring down at the alien for a second. Zim looked haggard, tired and still Dib wanted to throw him on the bed and do some horrible mixture of tickling and kissing and make the alien laugh and scream. “Thanks.” He went back over to the bed and flopped down on it, only to sit back up again half a second later.

“Oh god! Our wedding. Oh Big-foot’s left foot, we’re getting married. W-when the hell do we do that?” Dib fretted, already thinking, thinking…

And that was it, right? The obvious solution. The only way to keep Dib. Right in front of him the whole time. Zim ran a gloved claw over his lips, his brow knitting together in thought. ' _Before I lose my nerve.'_

“The sooner the better, really.” Zim finally said. He seemed to snap back into reality at the realization. “Yes! Tonight! Now!” Now while the Tallest were busy with their snacking. Now while Zim still had his nerve, and his lack of common sense. Now while Zim was still in this foggy state of wanting and desperation. He was at full attention, ‘spooch pounding in his chest hard enough to rock his tiny frame, antennae at full stance. “We don’t have a moment to spare!”

Dib’s eyes widened and his body stiffened in shock. “Ummm. Okay?” Suddenly it was very real and he was realizing that wow, he could never get married to anyone else. Not that he would want to.

It wasn’t even like he’d ever been attracted to women let alone any other guys and then along came a spider, who just so happened to be an alien.  And Dib wasn’t going to say that he _wasn’t_ attracted to Zim because that was a blatant lie, it was just that now that they were doing this it felt so much more serious than it did when they were talking in the cafeteria.

Pushing to his feet, Dib breathed and smiled at Zim who seemed pretty excited, honestly. “How do we start?”

Zim’s mind was in tunnel vision at this point; ignoring everything but what they had to do at this exact moment. Screw whatever happened afterwards. “We need to get to the control brain in the heart of the ship.” Zim nodded, talking with his hands. He couldn’t keep still, everything was moving so fast and he didn’t want them to slow down lest his common sense caught up with him.

Grabbing Dib’s hand, Zim led him out of their room; into the hallway where he had been certain was a thousand miles long just a couple minutes ago. And now everything was flying past him and he felt like he had taken three steps and they were at an elevator. Stepping inside, Zim pushed the very last button on the panel and the doors whirred past around them.

“Ok, when we get down there, it’s all very simple. I’ll use a chip and insert it in you so that you can receive my data. Extracting your half of the data shouldn’t be too difficult. After that, we’ll exchange markings. And that should be it.” He gave a short shrug, looking up at the human to try and gauge his reaction to all of this.

“Okay.” Dib nodded, frantically as he tried to hold all the information that Zim was throwing his way as the elevator zoomed down, a million Irkens passing by them until it finally stopped abruptly. His throat felt tight, as he grabbed the alien’s hand and they were walking. “Where are we going first? Do the Control Brains have the chips or…?”

“The Control Brains will have everything we need.” Zim answered with a nod. He gave the human’s hand a squeeze. Everything felt too real in this moment. He feared that his sense was coming back to him, so he picked up his pace, leading his human through the narrow hall that led to a massive doorway. His fingers trembled a bit as he punched the security code into the nearby panel, fumbling a few times and re-entering it until finally the door lifted for them.

The Control Brain loomed over them in the nearly empty room, the walls consisting of wires and cables that hummed and buzzed all around them. The room was much darker than the others on the ship, the only light coming from the glowing orbs that adorned the Control Brain’s surface.

“WHO ENTERS?” The deep, monotone voice came booming from the Control Brain in front of them.

“Invader Zim and Human Dib. We request a union.” Zim demanded simply.

“UNION BETWEEN TWO PARTIES IS IRREVERSIBLE, AND ONLY VOID IN THE OCCURRENCE OF DEATH. DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED?”

Zim looked at his companion, giving him one last chance to back down.

Dib was almost too busy thoroughly examining the room to give a response. They were like giant paks and they glowed eerily, the lights getting brighter and darker in time with its speech. The entire room felt almost sentient. For years, humans had been trying to create Artificial Intelligence and had succeeded on some levels. But this…these Control Brains were beyond anything they ever could’ve imagined. They radiated their own presence. A very dominating one that demanded respect. The voices boomed and he fought the urge to cringe, yanking his gaze away from the machine.

The breath caught in his throat as he looked down into Zim’s eyes, that also glowed slightly in the dark. Dib could see the colors swirling. He could see the dust clouds that he could just breathe in and die inside of. The history of the universe. So real. Very, very real. They had to do this. Dib hadn’t expected to go quite this fast and wasn’t sure about the alien’s hurry but, it had to be done sometime. Might as well. Gulping, he nodded slowly.


	21. The Union

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: THERE'S A GIANT NEEDLE AND IT GOES INTO BRAINS SO UH YEAH AND LOTS OF BLOOD BECAUSE TATTOO/SCAR THING.
> 
> \--  
> “Are you okay?” And those might be really common words but, up until a few weeks ago there really hadn’t been anyone he’d had to ask it to and no one to ask it back. Real honest concern that ran bone deep came from those words, rolling out as naturally as air. Everything was becoming natural now. It was like he’d known Zim forever.

It wasn’t hard to see the apprehension in Dib’s eyes. The honey color seemed to swim around in their sockets with all the fluctuating lights and the way they danced back and forth over Zim’s own orbs. But he nodded, and there was an air of determination that came with it that put Zim at ease. He relaxed for the first time since the guard had come to get him.

Tearing his attention away, he brought it back to the Control Brain, which was still waiting for an answer. “Yes.” He put as much of his confidence into the single word answer as he could muster.

“VERY WELL.” The machine boomed. “PREPARE FOR DATA SWAP.” A few cables dropped down from above, which Zim grabbed at. He looked them over in his hands before speaking again.

“Human Dib is not Irken. He has an organic brain.” Zim’s voice wavered a bit, worried that this may jeopardize everything. He was unsure of how this was going to work. He had thought that it would become clear when they got to this moment, but now that they were here, he was drawing a blank.

“ACKNOWLEDGED.” The machine whirred as it processed the new information. “ULTERIOR METHOD HAS BEEN DETERMINED.” Another cable presented itself, and Zim took it in his hands, gently. He turned it around, its smooth black surface tapering to a point, where a long, dangerous looking needle attached. He looked over at Dib to gauge his reaction.

Said reaction was some serious eye-widening and a small moment of near panic before he forced himself to take a deep breath. “So uh…where does that go exactly?” Dib wondered, feeling kind of frozen in place. “And how? I actually Yanno have a skull and stuff. It kind of protects my brain from giant, deadly needles.” Hesitantly, he reached out and touched the tip of it, feeling a small jolt of electricity run through him. Whoa.

Zim grinned a bit, sheepishly. “No worries. You won’t even feel this.”

“BEGIN DATA DOWNLOAD FROM HUMAN PARTY.” The Control Brain demanded, simply.

Zim bit his lip and motioned for Dib to sit down on the floor as he got down, himself.The human sat down, ignoring how shaky he felt. Zim's hands trailed over Dib’s shoulders, letting the cord suspend from the ceiling as he did so.

“It will be slightly unpleasant, I won’t lie.” He whispered as he worked the zipper to Dib’s top, revealing the light skin of his chest. “But it won’t take long.” He pulled the article of clothing down off of his shoulders before grabbing the cord, its needle glimmering in the dim light of the room. He brought his hand up around the base of the human’s neck, peeking over his shoulder as he did so. He massaged his neck with the pads of his fingers, prodding for the sweet spot where his head connected to his neck; that soft spot where it would be easiest for him to take the needle.

Once he found it, he took in a deep breath before positioning it. He looked up and peppered Dib’s cheek with soft kisses, hoping that it would take the human’s mind off of what was about to happen.He gripped the other side of Dib’s face with his free hand, pushing the cold needle into his skin. It went in easily, at first. But just as Dib had said; his skull was there to protect his spongy little brain. With some muscle, however, Zim was able to push in the needle to its base.

Dib sat frozen while the minuscule operation happened. There was almost a sense of detachedness that helped make this seem as though it wasn’t happening. And the tiny kisses that were being pressed to his cheek helped a bit. It was almost ridiculous because he was a big boy, he could take care of himself but Zim just kept going and before Dib could even like laugh about it or comment, he felt it pressing against his skin, a jolt of electricity running over his skin just before it went into his neck. It hurt but, the electricity must’ve helped either numb him or mess with his nerves enough so that it didn’t hurt like he expected a giant fucking needle through his skull would.

“Aah.” Dib hissed, feeling it touch, feeling the sudden flash of old memories and old emotions. They flashed before his eyes a few seconds before they were gone.

Zim continued to kiss Dib’s cheek, bringing his lips to his ear and whispering softly.

“You’re doing so well. Just a moment longer, it’s almost over.” Blue volts of electricity ran up the cord as it extracted what it needed. Zim watched anxiously, ready to pull out if anything happened.

“DATA RECEIVED.” The CB finally declared.

Everything felt very hot, then cold as Zim pulled the needle out carefully in response to the C.B.’s orders which were distant currently.

“There. That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

Numbly, Dib glanced back over at Zim and offered a lame smile. “It was…interesting.” With a shaky breath, he clasped his hands in front of him. “Now it’s your turn right? Oh no…wait. I still have to get a chip in my head or something don’t I?”

“It’s…a bit easier for me.” He admitted as a cable snaked down to them, angular metal claws opening up to release a small, square device. Zim held it up for Dib to see. It was black and glossy, with the familiar Irken insignia printed on one side. It was the size of the pad of his thumb, but would hold all the information that Zim could give it in its inner workings. A truly remarkable device.

“Soon, this will hold all that is Zim on it,” Zim explained as he reached behind him and extracted a small cord from his PAK. The chip attached with a small CLICK, and it hummed softly as Zim was downloaded onto it.

“DATA DOWNLOAD COMPLETE.” The C.B cut in, suddenly. “INITIATE DATA TRANSFER.”

Zim bit his lip again, bringing himself around Dib’s shoulders as he had done before.  
  
“This might pinch.” He whispered as the sides of the chip gave way to tiny wires, reaching out and latching onto the back of Dib’s neck. It writhed and burrowed under his skin, attaching onto his nerves and sending the stored data through them.

It more than pinched. It felt like a chip burrowing into his neck but, Dib clenched his teeth and took it, fighting not to make pathetic noises and—a sudden flash of white and red and purple light. There was a flood, a vibration of information that spread from his neck and then exploded into his mind.

_There was when you opened your eyes for the first time and then the first sip of soda. Everything was so sweet. Life felt sweet. Your mind is filled with information. All of the knowledge swarms you, overwhelms you. The empire, your home, the planets, languages, you are proud, so proud to be part of these people and then they bring up the Invaders and their accomplishments and that’s when you know that’s what you want to do._

_The first person Zim killed fell without a sound, the pain of training nonstop until your muscles gave out, till your feet bled, the smell of grease and blood, working together with the Vortians and knowing you would betray them._

_And he’s all alone._

_There was the feeling of flying, of seeing a billion lights and a trillion stars, the planets he visited. There was the knowledge on combat, the languages he spoke. You are good at destroying things. Irkens are supposed to do that. But, you’re different and the way you do it is bad. They tell you so. But, how can you help that?  Working and fighting, growing and changing and most of all serving the Irken Empire, the Tallest, the Control Brains, his people. Pride and arrogance. LONG LIVE THE IRKEN EMPIRE._

_But, you’re still alone. Being made an Invader. So overjoyed that it shook him. There were his years on Earth, the dirt and disgust, the people, the sky, the grass and the grease. There’s terror of these beings all around you. What if they know who you are? What if they dissect you? Destroy you? Who would miss you? No one. There was the lab and their first meeting, fight, kiss…the hours in space, Foodcourtia; the laughter, the pain of being shot and_ his _face._ Dib’s _eyes. Zim liked his eyes and Dib could see how he felt, how he was glowing and made him feel like he’d never felt before, all broken and fixed, confusion and understanding, anger and happiness, fear and safety…it stirred the still water._

Blank.

The human’s body shook, eyes wide and unseeing as he saw everything. Then with a large gasp he felt to the floor, panting heavily. Zim put a gentle hand on the boy’s back, rubbing it a bit before helping Dib back up to a sitting position.

“Are you alright?” He asked, running his hands along the sides of Dib’s head. He peeked over the human’s should to look at the chip. It was burrowed securely against his skin, pools of red formed where the tiny wires connected. But it wasn’t going anywhere, and it was doing its job, so Zim nodded in approval before withdrawing.

With the inner guts of Zim’s PAK on display, a cord connected easily and Zim was nearly sent backwards with a surge of electricity. His muscles went stiff and the information poured into him and he almost tried to fight it on instinct. But he gave in and it pooled into his mind all at once.

His wide eyes scanned the distance, seeing through those small hazel orbs as they opened for the first time.

 _A cold lab and crying because you are just so cold and don’t know what to do because what_ can _you do. Then those large hands hold you and you know you are safe and you hear that voice that will be booming over you for the rest of your life for the first time. And as a child you love that voice because you know it means safety._

_You are safe in your room and you love to play with your toys but your sister is so awfully mean that you hardly get a moment of peace. But then she’s nice and sharing stuff with you and you remember how much you love her and siblings always fight, don’t they?_

_You hold her hand to the first day of school because you are both so nervous, but then she leaves you and you’re scared because you try to make friends but those kids are just so utterly relentless. And you cry because you don’t understand, but that’s OK because you go home and your dad is there to help you. And over the years you get so much more excited because you are sure you just saw a ghost and think of the possibilities if there are ghosts and aliens and monsters._

_It’s a whole other world and you can’t get enough of it, but everybody is looking at you with such disdain and your father is shaking his head and you can feel your heart breaking in your chest. So you put everything that you love aside so you never have to see that look of disappointment again and it’s your first day of working at the labs and you hate it but you smile anyway._

_All that blood. So much blood and your dad is acting like it doesn’t even matter and you wonder where the man that made you feel safe went because you really need him right now. But he’s covered in blood and he gives you a thumbs-up from where you are watching in the observation deck._

_High school still sucks but it’s getting better. The kids are leaving you alone which is better than being picked on. You don’t go to the dances anymore because you know no one will ask you and you’d rather be at home. You go to work and there’s something new, and it’s_ him _and he looks so scared but determined in that glass box. He looks like a mystery and you have to solve him. Then you speak to him for the first time and help him escape and you are so scared and so excited, but you trust this stupid alien that you’ve just met. And foodcourtia and you can’t just leave him behind even though he’s a moron because you actually sort of like the guy._

 _Then there’s a nebula but his eyes are so much better and they’re drawing you in. And now you’re getting married to the guy but that’s ok because you actually sorta like him more than just a little bit. And..._  
  
Zim gasped, blinking wildly and collapsing to the floor, just as Dib had before.

And there is the human, scooping Zim up and just holding them together; thighs, chests, pressing his forehead against his, they’re panting in sync. Truly connected in almost every way possible. Dib holds nearly a hundred years of someone else’s memories in his mind and they are still coming but slower, so as not to overload their host. But, he can still manage to whisper a few words.

“Are you okay?” And those might be really common words but, up until a few weeks ago there really hadn’t been anyone he’d had to ask it to and no one to ask it back. Real honest concern that ran bone deep came from those words, rolling out as naturally as air. Everything was becoming natural now. It was like he’d known Zim forever.

The Control Brains are pulling back the rarely used chords. “DATA SWAP COMPLETE. PHYSICAL SYMBOL: UNKNOWN. IRKEN ZIM, YOU ARE MARKED IN BASIC FORMS INSIDE YOUR PAK AS HUMAN DIB’S BUT, HUMAN DIB HAS NO PHYSICAL INDICATOR OF YOUR UNION ASIDE FROM THE CHIP. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO REMEDY THIS?”

Zim’s head lolled around on his neck as he struggled to regain some shred of coherency. “Yes,” He answered, only to realize that it wasn’t a yes or no question. He cleared his throat and shook his head and tried again.

“The human and I are going to mark each other,” He explained, unzipping his own uniform and letting it slide over his shoulders. “Matching marks.” He nodded to Dib, giving him a reassuring smile. His head still reeled with incoming memories and knowledge, and it was overwhelming but at the same time Zim was loving every minute of it.

Dib returned the smile, his lips quirking up in one corner and with shaking fingers, he unzipped his uniform and pulled his arms out of it, the fabric bunching around his waist. Zim had seen his chest before so, he didn’t know why he had goosebumps. Licking his lips to make them less chapped, the human let himself take in Zim’s body; skinny but bright green and full of life.

Almost unconsciously, he raised a hand to the alien’s collar bone and slid his knuckles across the skin. “How are we…?” He murmured, shaking as he saw flashes of wars and foreign planet horizons between naked Irken skin.

Zim mimicked Dib and slid his arms free of the fabric, letting it fall to his waist. He brought his arms over Dib’s shoulders. Wow, he was so warm, as always. A flash of being picked last for soft-ball, and the C.B had presented them with a blank canister. When Zim popped it open, it revealed its dark magenta colored liquid.

“Oh,” Zim breathed in realization. “It’s for the markings.” He dipped his fingers in the liquid, holding his hand up to show Dib.

Dib’s brows furrowed, his skin tingling everywhere. “Okay um…how do we make the markings?” The liquid ink looked like blood in the dim room, it seemed much more dense and deeper than two inches in its container.

“How do you think?” Zim asked, slightly annoyed that Dib hadn’t figured it out. He held out his fingers and made a slight scratching motion. “Everything about this is as intimate as possible, so we will be doing it ourselves.”

“O-oh…” Dib breathed, before biting down on his bottom lip. “Okay…” Hesitantly, he dipped his own finger tips into the ink, bringing them out and staring at the glistening liquid before glancing back over at Zim. “Is there uh, a certain pattern or…symbol…? And where are you going to…do it?” His mind wasn’t even able to come up with any suggestions, too busy as it was imagining how it would feel to be marked by the alien, blood mixed with that ink.

Zim hummed a bit as he reached out and trailed his ink covered fingers over the skin of the human’s shoulder. Right below his collar bone on the left side. “Here. We carve our names, and the Irken symbol for unity.” He explained as he painted the design on the boy’s warm skin. “If anybody sees it, it will deter them from laying a finger on you, lest I get my hands on _them_.” He grinned wickedly at the thought before turning his attention to his own shoulder. Painting his name, along with the boorish looking symbol around it.

“That’s your name, see? In Irken. Just follow what I mapped out for you. Don’t mess up and ruin my beautiful skin.”

Dib cleared his throat and nodded, leaning forward a little bit and brushing their lips together for a few seconds. “Okay. Um. You go first.” He encouraged, pulling away from the not-really-there-kiss and hiding his face against the Irken’s neck, breathing in and out, readying himself. Dib wanted to know how it was done before attempting it himself.

Zim smiled softly, bringing a hand up to the back of Dib’s head, petting the short hair there. His claws made quick work of Dib’s flesh, cutting easily and swiftly along the pattern he had painted. He stopped every now and then to coo at him and give him a moment to breathe. He shivered softly at the feel of Dib’s warm breath against the crook of his neck, which encouraged him to work faster. It didn’t take long, and by the time he was done, the blood/ink mixture had dripped to the human’s mid-torso.

“There, that wasn’t so bad.” Zim said, finally, admiring his handiwork.

Dib shivered, shaking unconsciously as he sat up. As he moved it hurt but, the pain felt incredible. It was yawning and it created this undeniable sensation that accompanied the flashbacks of Zim’s past. Tingles unlike any he’d ever felt before rushed down into his stomach, spreading all over his skin. He tried to breathe normally. “No…it wasn’t,” Dib swallowed to try and moisten his throat. “I um…my nails aren’t really all that sharp.”

They were jagged, growing though because he hadn’t had much of a chance to bite them what with the whole trying to save his planet thing. He dipped his fingers in the ink, retracing his name in Irken where Zim had laid it out for him.

“Yes, I’ve noticed.” Zim worried his bottom lip a bit. After a moment of thinking, his PAK opened up again, a metallic leg snaking out. “Here,” He grabbed it, letting it go limp in his hand before holding it out for the human. The pointed end would prove to be sharp enough to break the skin, at least.

Dib took the end of it and dipped it in the ink, swallowing a bit nervously before shakily digging the pointed end into Zim’s green skin. The jade skin split easily enough, and the magenta liquid stood out sharply, before mixing with the light pink blood that dripped slowly at first then quicker as the design and his name grew larger until the alien’s blood was pooling in his stomach and the more that Dib leaned in, they pressed together and their blood mixed too.

Once he was done, Dib let the pak end drop and let out the bated breath he was holding. “T-there.” His vision was blurring at the corners and whether it was because of blood loss or because it was all so insane and incredible. “Done…now what?”

Zim’s breath came out in a hiss, but it was over and he felt like he could breathe again. Dib was much less skillful at this, but at least he didn’t mar up his skin, too bad. The marks were distinguished enough, and that’s what mattered. He took in a deep breath and grabbed Dib’s face in his hands, gently. “That’s it.”

“UNION HAS BEEN FINALIZED. RECORDS NOW RECOGNIZE HUMAN DIB AND IRKEN ZIM TO BE JOINED. THIS BOND IS FINAL.”

“We’re 'married'.” Zim whispered as his PAK leg retracted.


	22. Honeymoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Dib-thing, you have seen Earth from space; there is no moon of honey.” He finally declared in a slow, unsure voice. Had the data transfer scrambled the poor human’s mind?

Dib didn’t even know how to feel, but he let his face be taken in the irken’s hands and his eyes slid shut for a few seconds before he leaned forward and pressing their lips together, softly at first and then more forcefully. He pulled Zim as close as possible, basking in the pain that rippled through him, as well as the memories both bitter sweet and victorious that weren’t his behind his eyes.

The whole thing had taken less than an hour but, Dib knew it was one of the most important things he’d ever done before. Pulling back a few millimeters, he explained, “On my planet, we usually seal a marriage with a kiss.”

Zim didn’t protest, but instead leaned into the kiss, moving his lips clumsily and greedily. His own head was beginning to feel foggy, but he was certain of the human in front of him, so he focused on that. His ink stained fingers gripped at Dib’s messy hair, clutching at anything he can hold onto, desperately.

“Maybe…just a few more. Just to be sure.” He whispered against his lips with heavy lidded eyes.

“Yeah…just to…be…” Dib agreed, not even finishing before diving right back in, hoping to soak up as much of Zim as possible, sliding his thumbs across the alien’s cheekbones, smudging the left over ink and blood. No thoughts entered his mind, none but consuming the alien before him, making them one in this union. It was incredible really and he didn’t even notice for a second that for the first time since his birth, a thousand questions didn’t invade his senses, for the first time his attention was on one thing, one person and he was content with that.

Zim panted softly at the gusto Dib put into the kiss, trying his best to return it. He was inching closer to the human, following his instinctive need to have more, to devour every inch of him. He was practically in his lap now, not even practically—he had climbed on him, wrapping his legs around Dib’s waist. Their blood covered bellies were pressed together, their heaving chests breathing in time with each other.

Dib whimpered softly pulling away and smiling softly. “Aren’t we giving the Control Brains a show? Maybe we should…” The he forgot again, getting lost very clichely in the alien’s huge, dark eyes.

“Do you…think we can make it back?” Zim chuckled dryly before climbing off of Dib and pulling himself up. He held his hand out for the human. “Can you walk?”

Dib blinked and stood, wincing a bit at the pain in his shoulder. “Yes, I can. Let’s go.”

They left their mess in their wake; blood and ink for some poor sap to clean up. They didn’t bother putting themselves back in order again, sneaking along the hallways, trying to avoid any other irken’s prodding gaze as they scampered back to their room.

Of course, it was hard to hide their blood and inked soaked bellies as they did so. Not that Zim really wanted to hide his. Of course he wanted to flaunt his new union, his new life-mate. It was something to be proud of. But they were a mess, and that wasn’t the only reason Zim wanted to hurry back to their room.

Their usual room was taken, but a nearby one was still vacant and they hurried inside.  
“Now that we’ve gotten that taken care of,” No, not yet. Zim didn’t want to think about what was going to happen yet.

Dib huffed and flopped down on the sleeping pad, groaning a bit. “We should probably get some of the blood and stuff off of us.” He suggested, staring up at the ceiling. A few things were slowly starting to sink in. Married. He was married. To an alien. To Zim.

There was a freaking chip in his neck that was sending things to his brain, things like Irken schooling lessons and fighting with his peers. His shoulder stung faintly, but the inked areas tingled. Maybe the ink had a healing property.

Zim nodded a bit and pushed against one of the wall panels, where a tile gave way and sprang open. A small sink-looking area was tucked neatly inside. “Come here, I’ll wash you.” Zim ordered, tuning on the tap and running the water like gel over his hands. The ink would be hard to get off, but the blood washed away almost immediately.

Dib groaned and sat up, walking over to the Irken and raising an eyebrow at the magically appearing sink. He ran his fingers under the faucet and it felt like water. Could he drink it? That would be actually really awesome. The left over blood washed down the drain and it took a lot of scrubbing to get the ink off his fingers.

Zim clicked his tongue. “Cease your protests.” He commanded as he brought his fingers to the boy’s chest. He rubbed gently at his new wounds, working his way down his belly and rubbing away the mess as best he could. The magenta mixed with the red to make a sickly beautiful dark red, though Zim already thought human blood was strangely fascinating.  
“There, better?” He asked, finally, his touch lingering around Dib’s waist.

Dib’s muscles tensed and relaxed with the alien’s attentions, his breathing irregular, goosebumps on his skin. “Yeah..” The human replied, shakily. “Your turn.” Gently, he splashed the water down Zim’s torso, watching with half mesmerized eyes as trickles of colored water, dampened the Irken’s uniform that was still bunched around his waist. When that was done, Dib used the hanging sleeve of his own clothes to dry Zim off.

Zim jumped a bit at the splash of cool water, but relaxed at the human’s touches. He hummed a bit as Dib worked his way down his torso, and then dried him off a bit. He felt better, less sticky. He looked up at his new mate, then at the marking that he had carved on the boy’s shoulder. He traced the pads of his fingers along the edges of the cuts, where the skin puffed up and reddened.

“Mm, it will heal nicely.” He thought out loud.

“Heh.” Dib’s own eyes flickered to the matching markings that Zim had on his shoulder. “Yeah…” There was something…incredible and altogether overwhelming about seeing his name written all over Zim, his…oh gosh, husband. Mate. Partner. Wow. Throwing caution to the wind, he smirked and lightly touched the already healing wounds. Irkens healed very quickly. About four times faster than humans. He knew this because Zim did. Now, they both did. He could…speak… several languages now, he knew. Dib could speak irken now and rather fluently, if the words that came to his mind so effortlessly were any indication.

Biting his bottom lip, Dib tried it out. “On my planet…” The words came like instinct, flowing off his tongue as though he’d spoken it his whole life. “We have this thing…called a HoneyMoon…” He had no idea what he was saying, suggesting this, wondering if it was even possible. Was that a crime? Was it weird? It was crazy. But, they’d been so god damn close, their breaths the same, their minds connecting, bodies rubbing and now his very name was scarred into the alien’s skin. They were bonded in nearly every single way. Was it insane to want this too?

Zim froze when he heard those familiar words, and it took him a moment to switch from English to Irken in order to translate. But damn, he’d be lying if he said Dib speaking Irken wasn’t the most attractive thing he could think of. His voice was so much kinder than any Irken he had ever met, and it made it seem almost like a whole new language altogether.

He had to blink away his astonishment before the words actually registered.

“Dib-thing, you have seen Earth from space; there is no moon of honey.” He finally declared in a slow, unsure voice. Had the data transfer scrambled the poor human’s mind?

Dib didn’t know how to respond and was caught between giggling and blushing or letting the whole thing go. Instead, he breathed out a soft laugh and kissed the alien’s cheek, sweeping his lips across his cheekbone, softly parting and closing again, sucking the whole way down until he reached the harsh edge of Zim’s jaw. Here he nuzzled and suckled until it turned bright pink. With a tender lick, Dib shook his head and stood up straight.

“No…at home…humans usually consummate their marriage…do Irkens even uh…” Make love? Too cheesy. Fuck? Ick, too harsh. Have sex? Too technical. Get it on? Great, now he sounded like a comedy. Shag? He wasn’t British. He struggled with the words and it showed on the teen’s face.

Zim let out all his breath in a soft sigh at the feel of those lips working his delicate skin. But then Dib had to ruin it by talking. Actually…it was kind of adorable to watch the human stumble over himself looking for the right words. Zim watched with heavy lidded eyes, his hands trailing up his arms and over his shoulders.

“Even…?” Zim’s face grew expectant as Dib’s screwed into a contemplative expression. Spit it out, moron! What did he have to go on? He had mentioned the word consummate, and there were only a few ways Zim was aware of doing that.

“Maaate?” He drew the word out longer than it needed to be in an unsure tone as his brow furrowed. His hands turned over, palms upward, as if he were physically offering the word to him.

“Yes!” Dib nearly yelled, relieved to have a proper word and to have Zim be the one who had said it. “I mean uh…yeah. Do Irkens mate?” They kissed on rare occasions, he knew and Zim obviously _felt_ …stuff but, was it even done? Could it be done? Irkens didn't even ave natural birth so what point would there be to having...sex or anything like it?

Zim looked at Dib with an incredulous expression, one side of his lip peeled upward away from his teeth and his eyes narrowed just slightly. What kind of question even _was_ that? Why was that…?

“Wa-wa-wait.” Zim shook his head and waved his hands about, as if trying to swat the awkward situation away. “You…want…to?” Another dubious expression as he asked. Warmth rolled over his chest and worked its way up into his face. “It...is possible.”

No, Zim, stop. This has already gone too far, just stop while you are ahead. “Irkens have been advised against it, however. It pulls attention away from what it really important. We don’t have time to be catering to such primitive urges.” He gave a short shrug. It was never anything he, himself, had experienced, of course. Not that he had ever thought about it, before now that is.

“O-oh.” Dib sputtered, running a hand down the back of his neck, which felt abnormally hot. God, what an idiot. The very idea was obviously repulsive. Primitive indeed. He didn’t blame Zim. Wow, stupid. “That’s fine. We should uh, sleep or something.” Forget about the latest in embarrassing moments. What had he been thinking anyway? Not at all. With other parts of his body. With the pure desire that ran in his blood everytime he looked at Zim.

The feelings of humiliation were strong in his gut, never mind that Zim hadn’t actually done anything to cause it. It was just there, in Dib’s mind. This idea brought on by years of torment and never feeling like he was good enough, even for his dad. It was almost subconscious.

And Dib was turning away from Zim, suddenly. A fit of panic before the alien sputtered after him.

“I never said no!” He huffed. Well, he never said yes, either, but it was rude of the human to assume things. But he cursed himself because he knew he should have just let it go. So why was this ache in his gut telling him to stop Dib? He was overwhelmed with the sensation of years of rejection; he could see it in Dib’s eyes, and he knew what that look meant because he had been on the other side of them. And, although Zim had never experienced rejection, he knew what it was like because _Dib_ knew. Was this that thing called empathy he had heard so much about?

Dib glanced down and then back at Zim, sighing and cupping the alien’s face in his hands. “No, look. It was a stupid idea. Sorry I brought it up…it’s just…well, we’re connected now. I’ve never felt so close to anyone…ever. I know you. And you know me in a way that no one else in my entire life has ever even wanted to. You’re…well you kind of stole everything else from me.” Dib ignored how his hands were trembling a bit, brushing his thumbs over Zim’s cheeks.

“My first kiss, first punch, first time I ever ran away from my planet to elope.” He tried to make a joke of it, smiling weakly. “We’re married now. And that is…so overwhelming. My mind hasn’t even begun to comprehend it really. But, it also doesn’t feel all that huge or scary because I know that you’re here. I know I can turn to you and trust you. I know everything you’ve ever done before, learning you as the seconds go by and all I could think about was knowing you in this way too…in the final thing you have to take from me.”

Zim’s guts lurched up in his throat and he felt like if he even opened his mouth to take in a breath, they’d all come spilling out. His eyes were perfectly oval jewels as he stared at Dib in bewilderment. He…trusted Zim? Was that what he had said? Dib now knew everything there was to know about Zim, and vice versa. His non-existent eyebrows knitted together in thought. They were as close as two being could get, so why was Zim still holding back?

He scanned the room, looking for something, anything to make this less true. To take back what he had done. He worried his bottom lip and looked back at Dib, immediately regretting it. Warm colored eyes greeted his, drew him in and held him captive. Finally, Zim let out the breath he had been holding, feeling his cheeks flare all at once under Dib’s touch.

“You’re an idiot.” He muttered to himself before leaping, wrapping his arms around the boy’s shoulders. He forced their lips together in a rough kiss, throwing every crumb of resolve in the wind to blow away far from him. He wouldn’t be needing it any longer.


	23. Connected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dib’s mind filled with memories that were Zim’s, and his hands ached to be full of Zim, running over his skin, getting rid of the rest of their uniforms, sliding up Zim’s neck and brushing against the sensitive antenna, wanting, needing all of Zim. The name was a prayer upon his lips in between frantic kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ummm so nsfw warning??? its nothing incredibly graphic but, there is sex. it happens. its not the most realistic first time ever but, i mean come on.

Dib nearly tripped and fell, but managed to stay upright long enough to lean against a nearby wall. They hadn’t physically fallen but, all of his barriers had. The doubts all brushed under a rug, sure to come back again but, for now he was kissing the enthusiastic alien, eyes shut so tightly that tiny flashes of red and black popped out at him, joining images of raining earth, their first kiss, old battles, average things like eating and laughing victoriously.

Dib’s mind filled with memories that were Zim’s, and his hands ached to be full of Zim, running over his skin, getting rid of the rest of their uniforms, sliding up Zim’s neck and brushing against the sensitive antenna, wanting, needing all of Zim. The name was a prayer upon his lips in between frantic kisses.

Zim’s breath escaped him in hisses and curses, pants and praises of Dib’s name. The desperation that pooled in his belly fueled him to explore, unsure but eager hands learning every crook of Dib’s person, just as his mind did with his memories and experiences. All the things that made him Dib, his mind and body, were in Zim's hands and he needed more. He needed to have the human’s taste on his lips, his warmth in his hands. He let Dib lead, but Zim held nothing back in enthusiasm, taking control when he could. Grabbing his wrists and directing where to touch, barking soft orders and commands for more.

The human did his best to obey, losing himself in the alien’s voice, his whispers, murmurs, pants, touching his skin, how could it be so god damn soft? He was all hard edges, ridges and bones topped with the smoothest skin known to the universe. Dib’s lips parted, trying to take in as much air as possible before he was consumed again, bitten, sucked, licked, eaten whole by a being from another planet. Beads of sweat, little dribbles of pleading and then they fell onto something blessedly soft.

They’d unconsciously moved towards the mattress pad thingy. Dib paid little to no attention to it, nipping his way up a neck, down, licking the hard ridge of a collar bone as his hips seemed to find their own rhythm, wanting friction.

Zim nearly growled when the human fell on top of him, greedily wrapping himself around him and pulling him closer. He moved against the human, their skin slapping together in the small room, which was rapidly becoming stuffier as their pants and moans became more frequent. Zim allowed this for only a little while longer before pushing Dib off of him, shoving the anxious human to his back and climbing on top of him. He was an invader after all; he couldn’t let someone else have the upper hand.

Grinning deviously, it was his turn to bite and suck and nibble, his serrated teeth making easy work of the heated flesh. His tongue quickly flicked out to soothe any sore spots he created, which were plentiful.

Dib was caught between clawing at the bed beneath them and holding onto Zim for dear life. He did both, panting for recycled air, feeling like he was coming apart the longer those teeth raked over him. It was like being shredded to pieces only it didn’t hurt at all. Or if it did hurt, it was the best kind of pain and it was soothed not even a fraction of a second later by a long, ridged tongue. He’d never felt anything like this. It was beyond insane. He’d lost his mind, head thrashing back and forth, static building.

“Y-you…” Dib tried to breathe, sliding his hands up and down the alien’s thighs, stopping to reach out when he realized there was something between Zim’s legs; it wasn’t too long, but it was ridged and slick in his grip. He took his time, tracing the edges of it, pumping Zim in his hands. It wasn't like his own. Zim wasn't like him but that was okay and he was beautiful.

Zim tried to chuckle at Dib’s reaction to his little love bites, but his breath caught in his throat when he was suddenly getting some attention he hadn’t been quite prepared for. After a moment, his breath finally released in a groan, his hips bucking softly into Dib’s touch. So sensitive. Never having been touched there before, the pleasure was overwhelming. His toes curled into the unforgiving fabric of their cot, his movements becoming more frantic and needy, his voice coming out in soft pleas and whimpers to his mate below him. He ran his claws over Dib’s bare chest, leaving small lines in their wake down as they trailed down his belly.

“D-Dib! Dib…!” He moaned and arched his back, releasing himself into the human’s hand.  
The reaction that he drew from Zim was enough to leave him on fire. Dib licked his lips, touched his fingers to his tongue and nearly shuddered at how sweet everything was. A flurry of motion and he brought Zim back down for another bruising kiss, wanting more of that voice in his ears, crying his name, more clawing grips, more of Zim exploding for him, on him, because of him.They explored each other's bodies, marveling fully at their differences and their similarities. 

Zim writhed, hands tracing up and down along Dib’s sides, chest and neck. His legs shifting, trying to find a grip so that he could press against Dib more, to absorb more of his heat, to rub their sweat-spotted bodies together. Needing more. More of this, more of _him_. His lips worked clumsily over the boy’s, parting and closing over them again sporadically.

He froze in his place, however, when he felt something prodding him gently. He shifted a bit, the object of said prodding nestling itself between his sprawled legs. A click of recognition and Zim’s whole body was on fire. He looked at Dib with a soft asking in his eyes.

Dib felt it too, biting down on his bottom lip and nodding frantically. “Yes. Do it.” He cried, as their bodies thrust together, becoming one exactly in the way he’d wanted, in the most primitive way that had been there since the beginning of time. Only there had probably never been such an odd pairing. Dib’s skin felt too tight, the memories of a thousand stars, explosions in tandem behind his eyes, mixing too well with the steadily rising beat of his heart, with Zim’s frantic cries, with their rhythm.

Zim groaned and whimpered into Dib’s chest, his claws flexing and scratching at the skin as he ached to get a grip on something. Their lower halves bounced together and Zim’s eyes screwed shut at the sense of fullness. Of being stretched beyond his limit in the most wonderful way. Memories of lazy summers and cold Earth winters played behind his eyelids as Dib whined and panted from underneath him.

Memories that weren’t his flashed before him as they worked together to reach completion, to make the other holler their names. Zim propped himself up on his hands for leverage as he felt the tight sensation threatening to take over once more. A few more animalistic thrusts up into him, and Zim was digging his claws into whatever he could get them on, crying loudly as he rode out his climax.

The human’s skin tore and his entire idea of the universe went with it. His orgasm reached the peak, they were connected, and breathing the same air, working towards the same goal and then everything went white.

For a few seconds, nothing existed but them. There was no Earth or the Massive. There weren’t humans or Irkens. There were no responsibilities or missions that led them here. It was blank and Dib didn’t think that he breathed or thought. It was impossible to do anything but tremble, quiver at the hands of something so uniquely primal that no words could form but, “Zim!” And it was breathless, going on forever, ending on a keen just as he collapsed with his mate on top of him.

Zim felt like he could breathe for the first time in years, taking in big gulps of recycled air that was too hot. The Irken lay his head down on Dib’s chest, trembling softly as the remnants of…whatever just happened left him. He allowed himself a moment to savor Dib’s marred skin underneath him, the salty-sweet smell of his sweat, and just the hint of his blood.

But it quickly got too hot for him and he rolled off, opting to nestle himself in the human’s side, instead. An arm draped over Dib’s belly, Zim gave one of his many love-wounds a soothing lick. He didn’t know what to say at this point and for once he didn’t feel the need to say anything. Everything was perfect the way it was.

Dib shivered at the lick, feeling like everything was a pin drop away from exploding, at the same time as it was perfectly balanced. Steadily, his breathing evened out even though the sound of his heart beat loud in his ears. Could Zim hear it as well? With an aching arm, he wrapped it around the alien lightly.

The room was filled with their scent; blood, sweat…the aftermath of what they just did began to settle in his gut. No longer a virgin, eh Dib? Lost it to an alien. But, hey, he _had_ waited for marriage. A wry smile worked its way onto his face. Now that it was over, a million thoughts, observations, ideas, comments were flooding in. This was normal. He sighed and nuzzled the top of Zim’s head, not caring if that was weird. Who even gave a shit? They were married now. Earth was saved. The Irken was stuck with him.

And with these new found memories, he could see who Zim really was; a jerk-wad. Not that Dib hadn’t recognized that the first time they’d met. Or not so much met as saw each other through the glass while his father asked Zim questions. The irken was that, an irken.

Loyal to his empire. Willing to do anything. It was bred in them. It was like breathing. But, he was also rebellious in ways he had no idea about. Had a severe egotistical problem, would do anything for his leaders, just as soon as he would push them off their throne.

Zim had a mean streak but he could also be ridiculously polite. He was a paradox of epic proportions. A puzzle of stupidity and genius. A mystery was being solved. A doorway unlocked. And Dib’s very chest kept expanding. It was like the longer he basked in their aftermath, the longer he let Zim hold him, the more it felt that he was falling, reaching out for anything to catch him. Dib realized that in another life he probably could’ve easily hated the alien curled into his side. But, now all that filled him was contentment.

  
Dib’s mouth was dry. Gross. “ _You’re_ an idiot.” He countered, finally.

Zim nearly jumped at the sound of Dib’s husky voice. He sat up on his elbows, peering at Dib through groggy eyes. The human’s brow was glossy with a veil of sweat, his eyes heavy lidded and shiny in the fog of what they had just done. Zim could barely register what the human had said to him. He blinked a few times, trying to get some sense normality back.  
“ _Excuse_ me?” He finally managed, his own voice slightly gruff.

Dib smirked, and leaned back to stretch, working his muscles and feeling how sore he was. “Before you kissed me. You called me an idiot.” His eyelids shut, and he basked in the lingering scent. There was no regrets, no panic. Yet. He was fairly sure that it would come soon.

Zim scoffed, his antennae falling flat against his scalp. He quietly admired Dib’s muscles as the pulled and stretched under his fingers, recalling how they had been moving just moments ago.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” He denied coolly, resting his chin on the human’s bare chest, which was riddled with tiny love-scratches, most of which barely even broke the skin. They were hardly noticeable beside the dark hickies that played out on his neck.

Raising an eyebrow, Dib cracked a lid to glance down at the alien who looked about as casual as uh, his mind wasn’t fully equipped just yet to come up with complicated metaphors. Instead, it wanted to shut down, recharge, sort through this new information. His arms finished their stretch before wrapping around Zim’s waist. “Mmhmm. Well, I remember it quite vividly.”

Zim nestled closely against the human, laying his head down. Dib’s heart beat steady against Zim’s cheek, and it seemed to be drumming a lullaby just for him. “Yeah, well.” He murmured sleepily. “What do you know? You’re an idiot, apparently.”

Dib chuckled, sleepily. “Yeah well, you married me. So what does that make you?”

“Awesome, as always.” Zim murmured simply before falling asleep.

A restless sleep that left him feeling more tired than rested. His conscious mind refused to leave him, scratching at him with burning remnants of the night. Dib had told him he trusted him. How dumb was that? How dumb was it that it resonated in Zim’s mind, making him toss and turn. Images of those kind tawny eyes turning angry, hostile.

When he woke up, he felt out of breath and had to sit up. He looked down at Dib, still resting peacefully. His long eyelashes standing out against his pale skin, his dark hair a mess on top of his head. He was beautiful. In his own, alien way. Zim reached up and ran his fingers over his wounded shoulder, the skin already tight as Dib’s name was already scabbing over. Dib’s own shoulder was still glossy and pink, though it was healing. Zim’s name engraved in pale flesh. A bond that would last a lifetime.

Zim worried his bottom lip. What was going to happen now?


	24. Lifespans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fact that he was in union now was the last thing that was bugging him. Instead he was more concerned with his person, he was sore and in certain areas that made him want to fidget and squirm, but he refrained since Dib was here. Which was another thing that festered in his mind; Dib. Just in general. Memories that weren’t Zim’s floated around in his head, making him feel either sad or happy or lonely on a whim as they became known to him.

_Zim's toes were the only thing that moved, wiggling in his boots as he stood at attention. The other Irkens did the exact same thing, chin up, back straight and eyes ahead._

_They were statues to the Empire, permanently in their salute. And Zim didn't dare move even a millimeter, wouldn't dream of doing so, not when it could bring shame to himself and his people._

_The commanders and generals walked past them, an inspection. They hardly gave Zim a glance, almost missed him entirely for he hardly qualified to be a soldier, standing chest height with many of the others._

_Cold eyes passed over him and then continued. He relaxed minutely. Another test passed. And there had been many up until then, leading to this great moment when the newest generation of smeets would graduate from the Academy and lead the rest of their lives above the surface of Irk or beyond the stars, exploring the universe._

_When they called his name to 'officially' encode him with his duty, Zim almost missed it. But, after a small moment of embarrassment he stood up for the entire class to see, a gigantic smile on his face because he was an Invader at last and he would bring glory to the Empire._

_The wires slid down from the ceiling and plugged into his PAK, changing his status from Smeet to Invader with a flash and a buzz of electricity and everything around you is on fire. This time it’s not your fault though. Instead it’s those Meekrob. Horrible, filthy things with incredible powers. You turn and run, telling yourself it isn’t cowardly. The air smells of war; blood, abandon, dirt, sweat, primitive hand to hand combat. They’ve discovered how to alter paks with their minds. A dirty trick. And you have nothing to reciprocate with. This was nothing like the Vortian wars. The Vortians were soft with few hard soldiers._

_This was brutal. This time you feared death, wondered if being here courted it. But, they’re all around you now, feeding off of one another, this hatred is all consuming and Zim turns around to see that he’s surrounded by at least ten of them. No. Not death.  
Not now. They get closer, laughing in your head. You black out. Zim blacks out. Next thing you know is that you’re in the clear, and everything in your path is dead. Meekrob, Irken…nothing gets in your way and nothing will, he swears the day he lands on earth. _

_It’s nothing like he’s imagined. Not that he’s known what to expect but, this rotten stink hole was even more disgusting than his wildest dreams. It has gigantic pools of deadly liquid. You learn it falls from the sky fairly quickly. And that it_ hurts _._

_Sometimes you have nightmares. Sometimes Zim wakes up in the middle of the night with dreams of drowning in the stuff, being trapped outside or falling in a lake or a pond. The ‘water’ sizzles outside of your skin, before breaking inside to invade your veins and organs, cooking your eyes and tongue. You become nothingness, the horrible stuff is inside your pak and no, no help! Somebody help! I’m not a coward but, I don’t want to die!_

Dib thrashes in his sleep, whimpering and sweating profusely. These images are not his own. Or at least they weren’t. Until now.

Zim watched his fitful sleep. It made him strangely relieved to know that he wasn’t the only one that wasn’t sleeping well. He reached out a gentle hand and tapped Dib’s warm cheek.

“Dib-worm, stop your whimpering.” Zim whispered. He ran the pad of his thumb across his brow, wiping away the beads of sweat before making a disgusted face at the substance and wiping it off on the bed. Dib continued, however, and Zim huffed a bit. He leaned down and grabbed his face in his hands, shaking his head a bit. “Dib-worm, you are dreaming. Wake up!”

It took a couple tries to wrestle himself from the hands of the cloying water, gasping for air, feeling as though his lungs were collapsing, his body shaking. “I-I…don’t want to die.” Dib whimpered, not seeing Zim or their room. All he saw was death; other aliens, his own at the hands of something that was also a life giving element for him.

Zim shook the head in his hands some more. “Dib, you aren’t dying. Just wake up.” He could see Dib’s eyes dancing frantically behind his thin eyelids. Searching for his grasp on reality. Zim sighed. “Alright, I didn’t want to have to do this.” He lifted his hand away, returning it to the human’s sweaty cheek with a wet SLAP!

In an instinctive move, Dib yelled and shoved away whatever had just smacked him, sending it crashing to the floor. Frantically, he looked around, realizing where he was and relaxing just in time to glance down at the floor where Zim had landed. “S-Sorry.” He cleared his throat because his voice sounded entirely too high pitched. “Sorry. Are you oka—you slapped me.” Dib realized, rubbing his stinging cheek. Everything was blurry and too vivid now that he had awakened from…drowning.

Zim landed on the floor with a solid thud, all his breath being knocked out of him in surprise. He lay on the floor for a while, staring up at the ceiling, his brow furrowed and his fingers laced together over his belly. “Hey Zim, thanks for waking me up from that bad dream. Sorry I’m a big idiot and knocked you down. Hey, Dib, that’s alright. At least you apologized for it.”

Still panting slightly, Dib rolled his eyes. “Hey, Zim you slapped me. Oh yeah, sorry about that but, your bad dreams were disturbing my beauty sleep.” He rolled over and grabbed the alien’s wrist, pulling him from the floor, back onto the mattress pad thingy. “Thanks, I guess. And sorry for doing what any normal person would do when awakened from a nightmare by a hand colliding with their face.”

“Well, since you sound so sincere, I guess I can stand to forgive you.” Zim grumbled, taking his place on the cot. He glanced at Dib’s cheek and had to do a double take. A three-fingered print was forming in red along the side of the human’s face. Zim couldn’t help but snicker a bit.

“And just what are you laughing at you tiny green moron?” Dib growled, poking the irken’s head. “It better not be something involving me or my face or I’ll do something horrendous to you. It will be truly horrifying.” Part of him wanted to get the hell out of bed and move around, walk around the ship, explore every single nook and cranny.

The other side wanted to curl up in a soft blanket, next to Zim and trace every single bruise, scratch mark, and soon to be scars (which were already healing on him, that little bug), admire how the dim lighting made Zim’s eyes glow and his skin almost ivy. Groaning, the human squinted. But, he could do neither without his glasses. They had been tossed…somewhere in the passions.

“Oh? You think you can take me by surprise, do you?” Zim grinned and crossed his legs under him, suddenly realizing how vulnerable he was in his nudity. Though he was at an advantage, unlike Dib who’s sex organs were on the outside. “I doubt you could do much in this state. And besides, I wouldn’t be too beat up about your ugly mug.” He added with a smirk.

“Oh really?” Dib replied, arching an eyebrow in response as he shoved away from the bed to search for his glasses, only to realize like two seconds later that he was about 101% percent naked and it was cold. And he was naked. Never mind that they’d like…rubbed bodies and exchanged fluids. It was…different now. But, he fought the urge to cover himself, because that was stupid.

With an awkward cough, Dib searched the floor for his glasses, finding them underneath one of their uniforms and he felt so much better when his vision was clearer. It also kind of removed the whole fuzzy feeling in exchange for cold reality.

But, Dib tried to act casually, walking back over to the Irken. “You have no idea Zim. I can do terrible things to you. You will beg for mercy and maybe even cry a little bit.” He said with much assuredness. It would be devious indeed. Probably something of a mix between tickling and lying on top of the green dork.

Zim’s lips parted slightly as the human made his way back to him. He was looking up at him as he still sat on the cot, his legs crossed in front of him. His eyes narrowed and he shook his head a bit. “You don’t scare me, Dib-worm.” He countered, though he was practically quaking underneath that mischievous glint in Dib’s eyes. Not necessarily out of fear, however.

“Oh don’t I?” Dib said slyly, two seconds before falling forward and pinning the alien underneath him. He smirked evilly, fighting the urge to laugh. “Now you are at my mercy.”

“Erg!” Zim grunted as the human plopped down on him. “Mercy! Ha! Don’t make me laugh, pig-stink.” He growled a bit and lifted his head up, biting gently on the human’s exposed shoulder.

Dib laughed evilly. Although, it suddenly wasn’t so evil when it turned to giggling. He was ticklish apparently, something which up until this moment had never been discovered since no one had ever attempted to tickle him before. Dib shoved the alien’s head away from his shoulder and rolled over onto his back next to him, still snickering slightly at the odd sensation. “Pig-stink, eh? You come up with the most romantic pet names, Stupid-face.”

“Why, of course.” Zim agreed in a matter-of-fact tone. “Zim is the very epitome of romance, you know. Why, on Irk, females flock at the sight of me.” He grinned cheekily. He rolled on his belly and propped himself on his elbows, looking at Dib in a slight air of amusement.

That sarcastic eyebrow rose at the image of tons of Irkens flocking like birds towards Zim. He could picture him freaking out and running away. It made Dib smirk. “Somehow I doubt that.” He stared at the ceiling, feeling the air of the morning wash over him. Or what felt like the morning. There was a slight soreness in his muscles, a whole rush of giddiness in his blood, tingles over his skin. Dib’s mind felt full for the first time in forever. Earth was safe. It had been a productive night indeed.

“So, now what happens? What do we do?” Dib flipped over to face Zim, smiling softly, eyes full of anticipation. “Explore the universe? Go back to Earth? Have sex again?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Zim gave Dib a wry smile, his face scrunching up as he pretended to be disgusted by the suggestion, and then turned his attention to the wanna-be-mattress they were laying on. He scratched at the fabric idly as he thought. So Dib would want to go back to earth, anyway? Was this…all in vain? No, because now Dib was his and no amount of distance would ever change that.

“Well, I suppose since I don’t have a mission, we could. Explore, that is.” A slight pause and then he turned his attention back to Dib, his face scrunched up again. “But do you really wanna go back to _Earth_?” The dread in his voice was palpable.

Dib chuckled, laying his head on his arms and trying to shrug. “Not really. There’s the whole universe to explore.” The very idea was enough to have his blood boiling with wanderlust. “But, it _is_ my home so one day, it would be nice to see it again. To properly say goodbye to people.” Aka Gaz and Dad. “And I’ve never been much for material stuff but, I do have some things that I don’t want my dad to like hock for new chemicals or something now that I’m gone.”

Oh wow. He wondered suddenly how things were back at home. Part of him imagined it would be as though he never existed and everyone was actually happier with him gone. The other side imagined mass chaos as Membrane tore the world apart in search for his heir. He wasn’t sure how to feel about either scenario, only that right now he had no real urge to go back and find out.

“Well, if you _must_.” Zim rolled his eyes and mimicked Dib by laying his head down. His antennae flattened down against his scalp as he relaxed, his eyes staring unseeingly into the distance. There was so much to think about now that the fog had lifted. The fact that he was in union now was the last thing that was bugging him. Instead he was more concerned with his person, he was sore in certain areas that made him want to fidget and squirm, but he refrained since Dib was here. Which was another thing that festered in his mind; Dib.

Just in general. Memories that weren’t Zim’s floated around in his head, making him feel either sad or happy or lonely on a whim as they became known to him. He wondered if it was the same for Dib. He gave the human a sideways glance. He seemed insanely giddy and just the fact that Dib was happy made Zim want to punch him in the face.

But at the same time, it was Zim that was making him happy, and that made the invader feel….really good. Because Dib _liked_ Zim, and he knew that because he had seen it. Not to mention that Dib had flat out told Zim that he trusted him. Uhg. His chest tightened and he screwed his eyes shut. No, no, no. Don’t think about that.

They laid in silence for a while, companionable silence which was also something that Dib wasn’t used to. He didn’t even have to stop himself from thinking as the smallest memories, things like playing ‘games’ as a smeet and making stupid inventions on Vort swooshed through his mind on a lazy river, interspersed with thoughts of exploring the universe, spending years and years with Zim.

They had all the time in the universe. Literally. And it would be…pretty fantastic. To learn, build, hunt, grow, eat, laugh…do everything with Zim, Zim who would be his protector, who he would get to protect, who was loyal and there for him in every single way. His heart beat rapidly in his chest. Dib sighed, feeling dazed with the future when he didn’t even want to get out of bed, warm as he was with Zim’s body heat radiating over them.

Soon, (as it always was with him) a question popped up, along with another and another. Most of which were shoved away for a later date. But, this one stayed in the forefront of his mind. “How long do irkens live?” It was somewhere in his brain. He could search for the answer but, right now he felt lazy. Asking Zim was easier. Might as well start learning now.

Zim let out a small huffed and stretched his arms out in front of him. “However long we can until we die in battle. We have no natural deaths. I guess you can say we live forever, but the accident rate for us is pretty high—“especially around Zim, though he’d never admit that. “—and considering we’re a fighting breed, I doubt you’d find one very old.” Then again they didn’t age like humans did, so if you did see an older Irken, you’d have no way of knowing it. After a moment he looked back to his bed-mate. “Why?”

“Oh.” Dib breathed, suddenly feeling kind of horrible. “Um…no reason I guess. Just…I’ve been curious for a while. You can um, expect random questions all the time, by the way.” Zim could live for pretty much ever. That was…it was…unfair. That they…that he…this was for life. This bonding thing. “Um…so what if let’s say, one part of the bond dies. Does the other person get out of the vow…?”

“No,” Zim stated flatly. He sat up, his legs folded underneath him as he did so. He motioned to the scarring tissue on his shoulder. “Even if we hadn’t done this in such a crude manner, Irkens are marked for life inside their PAKs. We bare these marks for the rest of our lives. If either one of us dies, the other would be forced to live out the rest of their existence alone.” It was heavy, but that was the Irken way; all or nothing, always.

Dib’s brow furrowed and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Well shit. “Um. Then you may have gotten the short end of the stick, Zim.” He also sat up, pulling his legs to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

Of course Zim was already aware of the human race’s pathetic excuse for a ‘life-span’. The Irken sighed and let his shoulders droop. He glared hard at the mattress before turning his face away from Dib.

“I was alone before I met you, Dib-stink. You’re the only creature I was willing to bond with, and that won’t change after you’re gone.” A pathetic confession, Zim thought. He didn’t need anybody, of course. He was a proud Irken invader, he stood on his own and stood tall and proud. So why did his voice sound so weak?

Dib’s eyes widened, as he turned his head slightly to look at Zim. He had no idea what all that really meant since he would never have a full grasp of Irkens and their culture but, the very idea that Zim had been more than willing to bond with him, that he was the ‘only one’…it sounded a lot like what he figured love and soul mates and all that freaking jazz to be.

Love. Something that he’d never really understood nor ever really wanted to. Not when sixth graders were running around saying it. So maybe what they had wasn’t love. But, what they had done was so much more intense than anything that love stood for. So…whatever they had was beyond that. It wasn’t even definable.

Still, his chest hurt and he huffed out a breath he hadn’t even known he was holding, turning to sit on his knees, facing Zim and lifting the alien’s chin. “Well, we have at least 80 years. And who knows, maybe along the way we’ll find some miracle. But, no matter the time I’m looking forward to spending it with you.”

80 years. That was merely a breath to Zim, and it reflected in his eyes that it wasn’t enough as he looked at Dib. Then again, these last few weeks had felt like a year, but at the same time he felt like they had just met yesterday. He wanted to growl in frustration. Dib was distorting the very reality that Zim tried to grasp on to, making everything fuzzy and sharp at the same time. How did this one being have the ability to pull Zim into two sides of the spectrum like this?

“I am, too.” The Irken admitted in a soft whisper, his eyes lowering to Dib’s bare chest as he found he didn’t have to will to look into those honest eyes of his.

“Hey.” Dib pressed his lips against the alien’s cheekbone, sliding his mouth down, bending his head to press a soft, lingering kiss against the other’s lips. “Why don’t we go now, huh? Get started.” Another kiss. “Land on some foreign planet. Disturb the natives.” A slight nibble. “Breathe in nebulas. Collect a thousand memories. Ones that’s are _ours_. And not just mine or yours.” The human stroked Zim’s shoulders and back, rubbing slightly. “Come on, moron, let’s go.”

“ _You’re_ a moron.” He murmured from pursed lips as they just grazed Dib’s own. He pulled back, licking his lips from the sensation that he couldn’t quite get used to and left the mattress in favor of finding his uniform. He felt he should have been bothered in his nudity around Dib, but figured after last night that it just didn’t matter anymore.

For several reasons. But he recalled Dib’s bashfulness as he slipped the material over his wounded leg (which hadn’t been bothering him, but was slightly agitated now) and up over his hips. “You seem to have lost your modesty somewhere between yesterday and last night.” He noted with a smirk.

Dib returned the smile, rolling off the bed to pull on his own uniform, awkwardly over gangly legs. “Well, you weren’t treating it like a big deal and uh, well after last night I figured I could be a bit more lenient in showing my body. At least around you.” Still didn’t mean that he wasn’t aware of how freaking skinny he was or the little scars and imperfections that jumped out at him now that he was paying attention. Dib grunted and zipped up his outfit, pleased that there were no wrinkles.

The two being fully dressed, Zim felt like he was a whole person again with the Irken logo stamped proudly on his chest. He looked to Dib, who almost looked like a completely different person with his own uniform on. His raven hair was no longer the most prominent feature against his pale skin, now that the black fabric clung to his frame. But of course, his eyes always stood out, and Zim didn’t think there was any way to escape their luminosity—nudity or not.

Zim only grinned in response as he approached the human and ran his hands over the material that cloaked his chest. He lingered only a moment before nodding.  
“Right, well I’m pretty sick of this room. Let’s go, shall we?”

A huge grin split the boy’s face. “Let’s.”


	25. A Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Dib learned about the universe, he learned about Zim.

They left the room behind, descending down through the crowded Massive and back to where they’d first come aboard, stopping for a bit to grab some food to take with them. There was some slight deliberation as to what ship to take. Zim wanted his precious voot cruiser.

But, eventually Dib won the alien over to more room and a bigger ship so that they could carry more and not be cramped together. It was dark red, with windows that looked to be tinted purple on the outside but, seemed pretty normal from the inside. It was big enough to stand up in fully.

They could lay down and have a decent amount of food and other items in the cargo hold. Plus it had an actual bathroom! 

It’s official name was the spittle sprinter 786 but, Dib immediately christened it ‘the ladybug’ because that was kind of what it looked like. Although, as the days and weeks passed it would become ‘home’.

Of course Zim wouldn’t ever let the fact that his Voot was still on the massive go, but he would secretly be glad for the extra room. Especially in the ‘nights’, while they both slept. They had the room to sprawl out if they so chose to, but they were usually huddled in one spot, clutching at each other for warmth.

For a while Zim wouldn’t tell Dib where he was taking them, but Dib’s incessant questioning finally broke him, and informed his human that they were on the path to Vort. The Empire’s main recourse for all things science and technology.

Zim told him this in hopes that Dib wouldn’t get too worked up, which was of course too much to ask of the lanky teen. He buzzed in his seat for the whole trip, spouting questions that Zim could hardly keep up with.

Zim hadn’t been to Vort since his little mishap, and had sworn never to return. But when he saw the planet nearing, he blessed its presence. For one, he was glad for something to keep Dib distracted, but then for the way Dib’s face lit up at all the possibilities before them. It made Zim’s chest feel too tight for his organs, and he had to hold his breath in order to keep from saying something stupid.

The lights from the cities that covered the planet shone so bright the pair could see them from a week’s travel away. It was almost like a star in itself, rather than a planet. When they finally landed, the lights were even more brilliant up close. The cities seemed to be alive with machinery, and almost seemed to inhabit no organic life at all, aside from the vegetation that they were so keen to keep around.

But of course, all the life was behind the scenes; inside the buildings and labs making the machinery and all things bubbling and grinding and whirring. Zim beamed proudly at his mate as they ventured from place to place, talking Dib’s ear off (to return the favor, of course) about his time here on Vort. All of which Dib already knew (at least bits and pieces of it), but the human was all too happy to hear about it again. Not to mention that it was interesting how Zim’s stories seemed to differ from the memories he held, but he humored the green twerp.

They spent a couple ‘days’ on Vort. The suns, for there were two of them, stayed in the sunset position for most of their time there. But, it was never enough for Dib. He soaked up everything like a sponge, trying his best to learn at least a few Vortian words.

Their history was beautiful, peaceful (which was something he was unfamiliar with) at least until the Irkens arrived and he wasn’t sure how he felt knowing that Zim was alive during those wars and most likely participated. But, the technology was enough to leave him practically swooning, spending hours, bent over a table, studying every single aspect of it. And then he would spend another hour bent over it as Zim took him and vice versa.

He never got to see a prison (and there were many) but, Dib was sure he was okay with that. There probably wasn’t much he could do for them and even though Zim assured him it was decent and almost luxurious in the confinements of the jails, he still had his doubts.

They left Vort just when the suns were finally going down. The sky was a mixture of purple and green, but still just as bright because of the lights everywhere. Dib watched the planet disappear in the distance.

They visited other planets too, not quite as extravagant as Vort but, none the less Dib was salivating with excitement. He would often stay up until Zim finally was the one to pull him to ‘bed’ aka a little makeshift mattress that was almost kind of a nest now made out of old clothing, blankets, foam and whatever other soft things they’d managed to get their hands on.

That was another thing; Zim. As Dib learned about the universe, he learned about Zim.

Although, much of the alien was in his head now, there was more. There were the little habits, the way he talked, his emotions…the way he looked when he slept and came and was angry. Dib had almost as much fun, figuring out what Zim tasted like between his legs as he did learning what kinds of soda he liked best.

They landed in the middle of a field. The plants were blue. And they had to wear small oxygen masks. They were here for supplies on a planet called, Jyukiqanaka. Which even though Zim kept trying to say it for Dib, he still could never pronounce it right. They trekked across a few steep hills and walked almost straight into what could be called a market place.

And it had everything strange and odd. Stuff lifted right from Dib’s dreams and nightmares; giants selling weapons like medieval looking swords and laser guns, tiny glowing things in vials, potions, eyeballs, bones on strings, fortunes to be told, music to be heard from the most amazing instruments that could only be played by someone with at least 6 tentacles, jewels and crystals, knick knacks, toys that floated in mid air, all sorts of wires and metal, food (some that smelled scrumptious and some nauseating).

Creatures of a million races, colors, sizes all moseyed about, speaking in a hundred languages. Some he recognized thanks to the information from Zim’s pak and others a jumbled mess. People moved out of Zim’s way, recognizing his Irken form. They stayed away from Dib too since, he was obviously with him.

Of course a lot of the times they were chased off these planets because of Zim’s big mouth.Sometimes they’d end up back in their ship and Zim would bestow upon Dib something he had nabbed, seeing as how he had never had the money for the things Dib ogled at. Sticky fingers seemed to be a bad habit for Zim, but even though Dib would chastise him, he’d almost always reward him right after.

They had a collection of 'souvenirs' from their planets, all stacked up and put away neatly at the back of the ship. At one stop Zim had to get Dib a knife to shave with; the dark whiskers that were growing had begun to rub little rashes into the Irken’s green skin.

The first time Dib shaved, Zim couldn’t stop laughing for a solid minute. Dib only grumbled and had to wait for his face to heal. But he eventually got the hang of it, and while he wanted to try out different styles of facial hair, Zim wouldn’t allow it. He was a teen, still after all, and the hair on his face was still a bit patchy. It would be a few more years yet before he could have an impressive beard, much to the delight of Zim.

At one stop Dib tried some of the native food, something that smelled good but was a sickly orange color, and Zim had to drag his ass back to the Ladybug and take care of him. He was sick and off his feet for a good couple of days, Zim only leaving his side to get him something to drink. He talked his ear off while the human rested, and vice versa.  
Dib got his earful of ‘I told you so’s and ‘if you had just listened to me’s, but once he was well again, he gave Zim a kiss hard enough to cut the Irken’s lips on his own serrated teeth. And that’s when Dib realized that Zim got needy after a few days lacking their usual passions. In a lot of ways, they really were like newlyweds.

They ate together, slept together, talked, fought and laughed together. They became very, very close and Dib was in awe at how much Zim had come to mean to him. It might’ve been the chip in his neck, but it was also the knowledge that if Zim died he would be destroyed, worthless. He didn’t even notice how protective he’d become until the time for fighting came.

A whole group of no-good assholes had trapped them in a corner, spouting slurs, giving them no choice but to fight their way out. Maybe once upon a time, Dib would’ve been a bit frightened but, now he could decently hold his own thanks to Zim's teachings and the irken’s training in his mind. He knew what to expect.

Except that after finishing off one of the smaller ones, he turned to see Zim in the clutches of the leader's claws, struggling like a worm on a hook. A worm that was yelling and flailing,a thousand curses spewing from his mouth. Dib saw red, beating his adversary to a pulp, until they were surrounded by the unconscious (maybe dead) bodies of their foe. They escaped with minor injuries, covered in someone else’s blood.

They flew into a nebula, spent hours just floating inside the giant gas cloud and Dib felt he could die happy. There were times when he missed Earth. Dib missed the grass, pizza, the sky. He missed being able to watch tv and open his laptop and have instant access to the world. He missed his angry sister, and his father.

But, soon it would pass, usually because he was distracted with Zim’s tongue or his yells or a new planet.

With each new destination, the closer they grew, Zim felt a knot forming in his spooch.  
  
And it grew each time Dib got that look, that aching faraway look that he got. And Zim didn’t even have to ask what that look meant because he _knew_.

Dib longed for home and Zim knew it. He let Dib talk for hours about Earth, even though Zim had been there and hated every second of it. But if Zim had never gone to Earth and heard the way Dib talked about it, he could’ve loved the sound of it.

The way Dib sighed and sat back after he got all worked up about something, after he got done ranting about how his family would go to this pizza spot that his sister loved, and sometimes his dad would tell them stories or make funny faces at them and had to be reminded that they weren’t three anymore. His hands flailing and his smile growing so wide that it seemed like the dimples in his cheeks would begin to tear. He would sigh and sit back in his seat and Zim’s spooch would lurch up into his throat and he would force himself to swallow it back down.


	26. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe being here, in their home, Dib wouldn’t be _too_ upset. It was unlikely, but it was a hope Zim had to hold onto for his own sanity.

They landed on a planet with three moons and high waters. The indigenous life had gills but could also walk on land and Dib went into a tangent about something called a mermaid. They were checking out a stand when Dib disappeared to take care of his human bodily functions.

Zim rarely got moments like these, not that he minded being with Dib all the time.The opposite. He loved it. However, the nagging feeling that felt like he was being eaten alive from the inside seemed to swell in these moments. Because now he was left alone with only the thought of Earth being destroyed.

But he had plenty of time before then. Surely the Tallest had more important planets to take care of. But he’d call just to make sure. Pulling out the communicator attached to PAK, it seemed like an eternity before the line went through.

“Uhg, Zim.” Purple groaned. “We’re about a month away, there’s no need for you to bug us.”  
“A month away?” Zim asked, surprise. “From Neskep?” He sounded skeptical. What would the armada be doing all the way over here?  
“Neskep? Wait, you’re not on Earth? Oh, you just left we thought you went back to Earth.”

Wait…a month away from Earth. His mind raced with the ramifications. They were on their way to destroy it. In just a month. “I gotta go…” He said quickly, leaving the two leaders confused and annoyed, packing the communicator away. He ran his hands over his antennae, feeling panic run through his veins. Shit. Shit, fuck. What was he going to do. A month before the planet that Dib loved so much was gone, wiped of life. Of the human’s family unit.

Dib pushed his way out from a bush that smelled great but, kind of stung a bit on bare skin. “I was thinking that next we could head to the Kliko section of this galaxy. I saw some planets on the mapping that looked freaking sweet.” He picked up their stuff and began to put it in the cargo hold, shutting it and brushing his hands off before turning to Zim and raising an eyebrow at his silence.

“Is uh…” The Irken’s face was all wrong. And Dib had gotten adapt at reading his expressions. He knew them all, better than he knew his own. “everything okay?”

Zim’s brow was pulled together in a mixture of worry and panic. Dread spelled out all over his face. The corners of his lips were pulled down in a hard frown, and he avoided looking at Dib’s face at all costs. “Maybe we should…get in. Sit down.” He nodded slowly and without saying anything else climbed into the Ladybug, not looking back at Dib as he took his seat.

Zim looked around the ship; the space they’ve shared for….he wasn’t even sure how long, now. The space the slept and mated in, fought and cuddled and kissed in. The ship told their story of their time together, with their things strewn about, the things they’d gathered from so many alien planets.

Maybe being here, in their home, Dib wouldn’t be _too_ upset. It was unlikely, but it was a hope Zim had to hold onto for his own sanity.

Now, Dib was a bit worried. It was rare that Zim got serious. But, when he did it was normally for something that could be solved quickly and in a way that the alien hadn’t even really considered. “Um…okay?” He climbed into the Ladybug, picking up a few items of clothing on the way and putting them up before flopping into the pilot’s chair.

Zim wrung his hands together a bit and paced around. Mouthing things as he tried to figure out the best way to break it to him. Finally he looked to Dib, his hands balling up into fists as he tried to spit it out. His spooch was beating so hard he felt like you could see it though the fabric of his uniform. His face screwed up as if it was physically hurting him trying to get the words out. But he had to tell Dib; after everything. If Dib didn’t find out now, he’d find out after it was too late, then he’d surely hate Zim then. Zim didn’t want Dib to hate him…

“Dib…Dib-mate.” He pulled out the rarely used affectionate suffix. “I have something I must confess, and it is not easy, so I’m just going to come right out and say it.” His eyes shut tight and he puffed out his chest. “I lied.” He let out a huge puff of air, feeling relieved that it was finally out in the open.

The infamous eyebrow rose again, as the sight Zim made. Dib looked around a bit for the little piece of wiring he tended to play with when they traveled, grabbing it and twisting it. “Umm…You lied. About what? That you drank the last soda or that you’re the one who pissed off the giant horned guy. Because either way I already know. So, it’s fine.”

“Wait, you do?” Zim asked, a bit dubious, but shook his head. “No, not about that!” He sighed and plopped down in their sleeping area, his breath beginning to get shaky at what he was about to tell his only companion. He brought a hand up to his mouth before running it down the back of his neck.

“Dib…, the Tallest declined your request.” He finally spat out, hiding his face. There was no way he could look at Dib now.

There was no comprehension. “What?” It was like he had to rewind his brain back to when it was still a worry. “You...mean about...earth?”

“Of course! What else would I be talking about?” Zim seemed frustrated now. “I lied! They never approved your request! They never had it in their minds to give up Earth!” He was shaking now and he had to pull himself back up to his feet. He held his hands out, his finger trembling and his tone soft. “I knew you’d want to leave if you knew Earth was in danger. I…I didn’t want you to go…”

Dib sat frozen, the wires forgotten in his hands as he stared up at Zim, blankly. Slowly a mixture of anger, confusion and disbelief worked over him like frost over a window.  
“N-no. Tell me…tell me you’re lying. That this is one of those stupid things you say to make me mad at you so we...Zim. This…this isn’t funny at all.” And it couldn’t be true.

Zim had thought that maybe he’d feel better after telling Dib the truth; that was the point of having a conscience right? But now there was a white hot dagger in his chest that was making it hard to breath. His lips curled into a grimace and he shook his head.

“Dib…I…” What could he say? “I just didn’t…want you to go.” His voice was weak, failing him. He was pathetic.

Unconsciously, Dib was shaking his head, his eyes narrowing with hot rage. “No.No. This… because that would mean that…you and--” But, the more Dib stared at Zim, the more it felt real. The more it sunk in. He shoved away from the chair, feeling like everything was spinning. What to be mad at first? What should he feel or do now? Earth. Earth was still in danger. His marriage…this whole thing was for nothing and not only was it for nothing but, he’d actually fallen for the lie, and had become a part of it. They’d become one. He’d given Zim everything. He was hyperventilating now, fingers curling into fists, his face twisting and distorting into something ugly, something he hadn’t felt before.

“You…I…” What could he even say? What could Dib do to even…it was….unthinkable.“You… _asshole_.” The mask his face had become, those eyes glaring daggers into the Irken. There used to be innocence in Zim’s every move. Despite the blood that dripped from the Irken’s past, there’d always been a understanding in his mind. Now it was gone. Everything was gone. And it sucked because he couldn’t even fucking be disconnected from it because now the pain was coming.

A white hot, gut wrenching pain. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to hit something so hard that it shattered. Dib wanted to destroy Zim at the same time that he just wanted to be held. The bond in his neck, in his mind held him back from hatred.

“I…” His left eye twitched and he turned around, feeling lost as his hand ran through his hair. Until with a growl, he whirled on the Irken. “I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING! My word, my trust, my first kiss, my body…I vowed to be forever bonded with you! You did it too! “ A thought occurred to him, widening his eyes.“YOU KNEW! YOU KNEW THAT MY PLANET WAS DOOMED WHEN YOU CARVED YOUR NAME INTO MY FUCKING SHOULDER, DIDN’T YOU?!”

Oh god, it hurt. It hurt.

“It’s all a lie.” The symbols in his shoulder. The days they spent together. The memories. The sex, the laughter. It was all tainted with Zim’s betrayal. Because that’s what it was. It hurt more than anything he’d ever experienced before. More than chemical burns over skin. More than suppressing his passion for the paranormal for years.

“Oh my god.” Dib pulled at his hair, trying to ignore the hot tears that squeezed past his eyes despite how much he didn’t want them to. “This is…unbelievable. I have to…” His throat was closing up. “I have to get out of here.”

“What else could I do, Dib?” Zim snapped back. He knew he was in the wrong here, but he had never reacted to being yelled at very well. His fists balled up and he stood his ground, though the dagger in his chest threatened to undo all of his training. Dib had yelled at him before, but not like this. He was never truly mad at Zim, until now, of course. The world seemed to have a sharp edge to it, everything was too real, happening too fast. He just wanted this to be over, he wanted things to go back to the way they were.

“If I hadn’t done it, what would you do? Go back to Earth and get killed? Even with your help, Earth wouldn’t and won’t stand a chance against the Armada! I saved you!”

Dib reeled and got right up in Zim’s face, barking. “You’ve killed me! You made me believe that you gave a shit about anyone else besides you and then proved I was wrong. You made me vow myself to someone who doesn’t exist! You took me away from Earth, and now I won’t even get to die as a human.” The tears flowed freely, as the tendons flexed in his neck. He shook his head and stomped towards the door. “I can’t even be in the same room as you. I’m leaving. Don’t follow me.”

“No!” Zim shouted after him and chased him, regardless of the human’s order. “That’s not true!” He grabbed at Dib’s arm and spun him around. It was his turn to get in his face. His own tears were forming now but he tried his best to suppress them; he knew that this would happen all along. He had just been putting it off. He had to stand on his toes, and even then didn’t get even close to being at an intimidating stature, and in his emotional state, he didn’t even think to use his PAK legs.

“You moron! Why do you think I did this? I didn’t want you to leave because I _do_ care about you! I wanted to be in union with you because you’re the only creature in all my years of life that I actually like! I don’t want you to go marching off to your planet to get killed! Everything we’ve experienced wasn’t a lie, and it happened because of me! Because I made you stay! You can’t tell me you regret everything! All the planets you’ve seen, all this time together! You can’t dare to say that you regret that ever happening!”

His voice was high pitched and by the end of it all even cracked a few times. The tears that he was trying so desperately to hold back with blurring his vision and streaming down his hot cheeks. He felt pathetic, weak, vulnerable. But if there was anybody in this universe that Zim would let see him like this, it was Dib. He begged inwardly for Dib to stay with him.

Those golden eyes were dimming to brown, and they searched Zim’s face. They searched the alien’s eyes for anything he could salvage as his mate. It was there. It was in his mouth, his tears. And Zim was crying but, even though Dib wanted to give in, to collapse and just let this go, as much as he wanted to believe that there was no point to being angry…he couldn’t. Dib yanked his arm away.

“I can’t do this right now. I need…I need to go.” He shoved the door open and jumped out, sprinting away as fast as he could, not wanting Zim to catch up with him. He couldn’t keep staring into those magenta eyes that had captivated him since day one. Dib could not stay in the confines of that ship with the memories of their adventures. Of laughter and what he thought was love even though he knew that love would not hurt this bad. This was worse. This felt life changing. Character forming.

It was like he was breaking apart, the screws coming lose. He was drowning in the hatred, the pain, anger, the salty tears down his face and in his mouth that was suddenly open in an inhuman scream, a roar of agony that echoed in the blue forest. Where was he even going? Dib had no clue. Only that it was somewhere far.


	27. Carrying On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Think of it this way. It was only 80 years anyway. Maybe this is ripping the band-aid off.” Dib replied, emotionless.

Zim growled through clenched teeth, thick droplets of tears dripping from his chin as they fell down his cheeks. What was he crying for? He did this; this was all his doing. He had no right to cry. He knew this would happen all along. But when he had started this…this _thing_ , it had been for his own gain, of course.

But, when had it become more than that? He couldn’t even pinpoint an exact moment when he had dove head first into the tawny abyss of Dib’s world. All that he knew now was that he cared for Dib; they had become their own world together, blocking everything else out, as it was all so unimportant compared to the embrace of their nights together.

But now he was alone. And it seemed so much worse than before when he was on his own. Zim didn’t even know when he had fallen to his knees, or even how long he had been there. Minutes? Hours?

With a final sigh of resolution, he pushed himself up, feeling as though his limbs all weighed fifty times heavier than normal. Dib wasn’t gone, he'd just ran off like an idiot. Zim hadn’t lost him yet, or so he’d like to believe. He wouldn’t let him go so easily.He shoved himself out of the Ladybug, sprinting for a small while before his PAK legs took over and carried him. His magenta orbs scanned the horizon for any sight of his human, calling his name—though it was foolish of him to assume Dib would answer him.

Panting, the human didn’t even stop to wipe angry tears away from his face, though it made his vision blurry as fuck. Before him the hills rolled, covered in thick blue bushes that molded to his footsteps, before slowly returning to their original state like memory foam. It was easy to distinguish the soft rustle of leaves against sharp points of metal being stabbed into the hard ground and yanked out again from behind him, accompanied by the sound of his name.

Dib shook his head, feeling like his chest was going to explode and implode all at once. What he wanted to do was whirl around and hit the Irken right in the face, over and over again. What he wanted to do was collapse into a ball and just let the fucking pain of betrayal take over him. Instead, Dib kept running, knowing that Zim would catch up eventually but, he would give the alien a hell of a time of it.

Growling, he waited until he sprinted across the valley made of those memory bushes and ducked into the dense forest, dodging branches, tearing back vines, doing his best to zig-zag to throw Zim off track. A mile or so of this then civilization would begin to show up.

From their quick trip there for supplies and stuff earlier, Dib knew it was a small city but, large enough for him to hide in for at least a night. A stray root almost sent him sprawling to the ground, but he grunted, ignoring how much his throat hurt from holding in the tears, and kept going.

Zim got to the small stretch of flatland just in time to see Dib duck into the forest. That idiot was actually running away from him! Zim clenched his fists hard enough that they trembled, the material of his gloves threatening to give way under his claws. Did he know he had bigger problems than a stupid lie right now?

“Dib!” Zim shouted as he lunged across the small valley, sliding in between the trees effortlessly. He snaked his way through until the strange black vines snagged the metallic appendages, getting caught in the nooks of the joints. Grunting and writhing, the Irken struggled to free himself. He let out an exasperated huff before calling after Dib, who was being dumb and stubborn when his _precious_ planet was in so much trouble. Honestly, why did that boy need to make everything so much harder than it needed to be?

“Dib, you moron, YOU ONLY HAVE A MONTH!” His shrill voice bounced and reverberated off the trees and through the forest.

The words echoed in the darkness and Dib screeched to a halt. Through his blurry eyes, he could see the lights of the city. Then Earth was still…it wasn’t gone. A month…what could be done in a month? He knew from close personal experience that the answer was ‘a lot’.He swallowed the painful lump in his throat, blinking at the alien city.

With a shuddering sigh, Dib turned and slowly walked back through the jagged branches, ducking back through until he reached a minor clearing between a few trees where the light of the far off but, bright moon leaked through the leaves. Panting softly, Dib tried to catch his breath while the silence dragged on. The pain was easing a bit in his chest. Earth was safe. For now. He kept several feet away from Zim.

“A month, then…” Dib nodded, thinking hard. Was there a chance…? His mind buzzed with possibilities, opportunities, ideas. They were a damn for the rage and pain. “You’re taking me back home.” With that he shoved past Zim. “I need to get those things I was talking about.”

“Why do you think I’m here?” He growled between grunts as he ripped apart the vines that were holding him captive. When his feet were finally on the ground, his PAK legs shrunk back into their home and Zim fought to keep up with Dib’s large strides on his own. Zim could see the tear streaks that stained Dib’s face glistening in the moonlight, and he longed to wipe them away. But he knew it was best to keep to himself, lest he lose a hand in Dib’s anger. Their ship was in sight now, and something was biting at the back of Zim’s mind. With a shaky sigh, he spoke up.

“Dib-thing, what do you plan to do when you get back?”

Instinct would demand that he respond with the truth. Only they weren’t being truthful, now were they? Dib bit the inside of his cheek, padding across the moss and bushes, trying to walk as fast as possible. No time to waste. “That’s none of your business.”

The pang in his chest nearly set Zim to his knees, but he pushed it down and kept going. His pace took the blow, his steps slowing a bit so he dragged behind Dib. Of course it wasn’t his business; his loyalty was to the armada. Always had been and always will. It wasn’t like he expected Dib to ask him for help, anyway.

“You’re in over your head.” He stated simply as they reached the Ladybug. “Earth doesn’t stand a chance against the Armada. It’s suicide to even try to fight them.” His tone was almost pleading as he searched Dib’s face for…something. Anything.

Dib’s expression screwed up as he hopped up into the Ladybug, almost stopping dead in his tracks because wow things were different now and this place held too many good memories. All ruined now. Swallowing, he walked towards the co pilot’s chair, trying to avoid looking at Zim even as he knew the alien was searching him. “I know it is.”

But, hey if his plan worked, then freaking fantastic. And if it didn’t…well, then he wouldn’t have to deal with the aching agony in his chest. But, this human would not go down without a fight. Earth wouldn’t be let go quietly.

Zim sighed and let his heavy body fall into the pilot seat, running his hand over the control panel and bringing the ship to life. “They have a head start on us, but our ship is smaller and faster, so we should be able to make it there in time.” A pause. “Should.”  
He waved goodbye to the last planet he figured they’d have any good memories on, and lifted them out of the atmosphere. The coordinates still embedded in his mind, finding them buried under all the memories he had collected over the time he spent with Dib was the only difficult part. Once he punched them into the screen, there was nothing left to do but wait.

It was silent for a long while as they exited the planet's atmosphere and slid into dark, lovely space.

There was a clamp on Zim’s insides, squeezing him until he felt like he was going to keel over. He fought to get the words out, and when they finally emerged from his dry throat, they sounded weak and as though they came from someone else entirely. “When we land…” He couldn’t finish the sentence, and left the ‘will that be it’ hanging. Would they part? Would this be the end of them? Forced to remember each other only by the scars in their shoulders?

Dib’s people were ignorant; he could find a mate again, easily. No human would know what those markings mean. But Zim would be alone, again. Not that he wanted a mate after all this. Being alone suited him just fine.

Dib knew Zim well enough that he could almost hear the words unspoken. A quick side glance at the Irken left a gaping hole in his stomach. He pressed his hands to the imaginary injury, grimacing. The Irken had shiny cheeks. Crying. Well, join the club, Invader.

Swallowing, he shrugged, trying hard to make his throat work. “I don’t know. You might need to take me back to the Massive…” His jaw worked, chewing on the words. “Or you can leave. I’m sure I can find a way back into space.” There would be no stopping him.

Zim sighed and flexed his fingers over the panel. The material of his gloves (or maybe it was his bones) creaked at the release.“Dib, you are my life-mate.” A fact no lie could cover up. “The bond is no lie. It is in our skin as well as our minds, and not to mention Irken records. However,” He took in a deep breath, feeling his body threatening to revolt against him. He felt like he was going to be sick. “Helping you…in all this…would be considered treason against my Tallest.” He was pushing it even by helping Dib get back to Earth.

Zim was partially glad Dib had refused to tell him his plan; at least this way he could truthfully claim he had no part in it. But…Dib _was_ his life mate, after all. He was obliged to help him. He was torn, and he could feel himself giving away at the seams. “I want to help…” But. What could he do? Throw away his hundreds of years of loyalty, of building up to where he was now? The Invader emblem was still proud on his chest. A badge of who Zim _was_. He was an Invader. It was in his blood.

Dib pursed his lips and nodded stiffly. “I know. It’s in my head too, I remember.” The utter loyalty to the Empire was practically a religion. The closest an Irken got to one. This was enough for now. As for being life mates…that was still in his head as well. It was in his heart in the form of all of Zim’s memories. It would be a part of him forever.

It was in the pain he felt that almost outweighed the anger. But, that pain went on for many levels. At being lied to, at knowing that this could be the end for them, at seeing Zim clench and stiffen in agony. Dib didn’t know what to feel or what to do about them. The only thing he knew was that Earth and all its people, his people, needed to be saved.

“Think of it this way. It was only 80 years anyway. Maybe this is ripping the band-aid off.” Dib replied, emotionless.

Zim laughed humorlessly, bitterly. The tone of Dib’s voice was like a punch to the face, knocking the sense out of his head enough that he nearly choked on the cry that threatened to escape his throat. But he held it back, because he could take this. Zim had been shot and stabbed and beaten, he could take this. A little emotional trauma. So what.  
But now what was it? Eighty years of...nothing.

“What is Zim supposed to do for eighty years, now?” He asked, but didn’t expect an answer. He glared out into space, past his reflection into the abyss.

Dib winced at the alien’s laugh, crossing his arms over his chest. The silence dragged on because he honestly had no idea how to respond. The stars and planets flew by, glistening tauntingly.He recognized ones they'd landed on. Others that they might've gone to next. Dib forced words to break the numb quiet. “When did they tell you…?”

Zim tore his gaze away from the windshield to stare down at his hands, which were slightly sore in the knuckles. His eyelids felt heavy, though he wasn’t tired. A sideways glance proved to him that Dib’s eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, which he was sure was a mirror image of himself.

“When they denied your request,” He started slowly. “I knew they were planning on it. However, I did not expect action this soon. I found out just today that they were moving in.” What was the point in lying, now. Everything was on the table. “I thought…” What did he think? That he could do something about it? That Dib would be happier without Earth? What was his train of thought in all this?

“I didn’t think.” He admitted, finally. “Just…wanted you here.” He wasn’t even making excuses for himself anymore, he just wanted to have the human with him, no matter what. There really was no explaining it.

Dib tried to keep a straight face, to stay emotionless but found it impossible at the last part, his face screwed up, mouth turning down hard with the effort. The pain in his chest increased so much it was like his ribs were breaking. “You’re such an—“ He gasped for air, feeling the stupid tears start up again. “idiot. And an asshole.” The shaking kept going, moving from just his head to his shoulders and arms as the tears kept coming.

“Do you know that I was never happier? That I was fucking living in god damn bliss with you in our cramped as fuck space ship? I loved having you in my head. Even the bad parts.” The wars, bloodshed, fighting, killing, watching death happen all around him. “And I hate you for what you did. But, you’ll always be the best part of my life…and I’ll never stop…loving you, for lack of a better word.” Dib’s voice cracked and he had to clear his throat. He laid his forehead on his shaking knees. Everything was moving. “But, I don’t think I can ever really forgive you for this…ever.”

Zim watched with wide eyes as Dib wilted; not just his façade of emotionless-tough-guy, but his stature as well. He was a ball of mess in front of him, and Zim’s breath became labored at the sight and at the words Dib was giving him. He felt tears well up and snag on his eyelashes before finally rolling down his cheeks, again.

He wanted to say something, anything to make this OK. But he knew there was nothing. It was ruined. He had ruined the only good thing in his long life; and the sad part was that he didn’t know it’d be the best time of his life until now. Until it was over. How could he go back to the way things were after this? How did things just…go back? They didn’t.

“I know.” Zim whispered, weakly. He turned his head, fighting every instinct to reach out and touch the human. To console him as best he could. “I will take you home,” He stated with a small nod, the corners of his mouth tugging downward. “And…you don’t ever need to see me again.” If that’s what you want.

“No!” Dib cried, nearly touching Zim before drawing his hand back. “I need to go home, yes but…if I…if this works…I don’t never want to see you again.” He had no idea what he wanted. Except that never seeing the alien again was not an option. Seeing the tears on Zim’s face was more than enough to knock down his walls that he’d re-erected.

But, not all of them. The anger was mostly gone. All that was left was agony. Because yes, Zim was such an idiot. But, Dib knew how he thought. This was not the desired result even though it had been the inevitable one. He still wanted to be with Zim…but, it would be a long time…a very, very long time before he could trust him again.

Zim jumped at the sudden outburst, his head snapping forward and his antennae sticking up. Relief washed over the Irken knowing that Dib didn’t want him gone. But that still posed the question about what they were going to do. When they reached Earth, what was Zim going to do? Was he going to help him? Throw away the very Empire he had been raised by and sworn loyalty to? It wouldn’t be the same as just leaving, as Dib did his own planet; if Zim committed treason, he’d _never_ be allowed back. Stripped of his Irken name, and possibly even killed.

But at this moment Zim didn’t care about any of that. Because Dib still wanted him. Tentatively, Zim reached out, his gloved hand grazing up Dib’s shoulder. He mostly expected the human to shrug his hand away, but the urge to have Dib in his grasp after all this was just too strong to fight off.

Dib let out a shuddering breath, closing his eyes and laying his head on his knees at the very subtle touch that he neither encouraged nor denied. He had to pull himself together, sniffing and breathing deeply. Finally, the hard-crying hiccups stopped, and he turned towards Zim a bit. “We should get some sleep…or at least I should.” His eyes hurt from the force of the earlier sobbing.

With a clenched fist, Dib resolved that there would be no more stupid break downs. The human shoved away from the chair and walked on unsteady legs to their makeshift bed, pausing momentarily. Had they really only laid there last night? Swallowing back the urge to yell, he forced himself to lie down.

“You know, we may have to part ways for a while…but, it wouldn’t be permanent.” Maybe. If he lived. “That way you won’t be involved.” Irkens who committed treason were tried as Defects and traitors.

Zim breathed, feeling like he could do so without falling apart for the first time in what felt like hours. Days, maybe. “Dib, you can’t fend them off.” Zim tried again. He felt like a broke record. He stood from his seat, moving his hands as he spoke. “There’s nothing you could do to keep them from getting what they want. If you stand against them, they will kill you!” His voice rose in volume as he continued, feeling more panicked as reality set in. Dib really was going to try, wasn’t he? “Stay with Zim, please.” His voice broke as he pleaded. “We can be happy again.” Who needs Earth, anyway? Zim wasn’t even sure what the Empire wanted with it.

Dib stared at the ceiling, knowing Zim was close by was enough to make him calm at the same time as he was stiff as a board. “No. I can’t just…let them take Earth. Not without a fight. I will _not_ be the last human. I will _not_ just sit by and watch them destroy everything.” His voice rose in volume as he spoke. The images of the Armada coming, breaking through the atmosphere and people screaming as their lives crashed around them. It was a nightmare. He shook his head frantically.

“I’m sorry…sorry that you’re Irken and I’m human. Sorry that Earth was the planet you were sent to. I’m sorry that I love it as much as I do. Sorry that you’re as loyal to the Empire as you are. And I’m sorry because I don’t regret any of it and I’m still going to fight.”

Zim huffed in frustration, his hands coming up with his fingers flexed as though he were trying to strangle something. “You’re a moron, and if you go through with this, then you’re a dead moron!” Zim growled, plopping back down in his seat. Zim shouldn’t have been as angry as he was; he of all people knew what it was like to put your life on the line for your people. He ran a hand over his mouth as he spoke.

“What are you going to do?” He asked finally, deciding he wanted to know more than he wanted innocence. He needed to know just how stupid Dib was being here, exactly.

Dib’s breath hitched in the back of his throat but, he swallowed it down, breathing deeply and evenly, trying to think in the most logical way possible. Or as logically as he could when you were planning on taking on an armada of aliens, while being in love with one of those aliens who had just betrayed you. “Are you sure you want to know? You won’t be able to plead innocence.”

Zim sat back in his chair, the fabric creaking under him, and he peered out into the darkness of space. As much as Dib was right, he still couldn’t let the human do anything too stupid. He wasn’t betraying his people just by listening to a silly plan, right?  
“Just tell me.” He demanded softly, turning back to Dib.

The human stared up at the ceiling, nodding. “Well, as soon as we get back to earth, I need to alert as many people as possible. And if they don’t believe me about aliens maybe they’ll believe me if I say some sort of colossal storm is coming. It won’t be too hard to fake meteorological charts what with my dad’s lab. Who I’m sure will be more than relieved to see me. He knows you are an alien so, I can explain what happened.” Leaving out some details. Probably the whole sex part. And falling in love thing. “He’ll be on my side. That and his people. I wasn’t lying when I said my dad is in control of not just science but, he also has access to military and biological weaponry.” A nuke to the massive might just turn them around.

“And now that I have the entire history of the Irkens in my head, I have access to blue prints, I have the codes in my mind, and in our union, be it not exactly traditional, I also have a limited amount of access to certain things that a normal human wouldn’t. Therefore, we won’t go in blind at least.” I might even have more of an advantage than any other enemy of the Irkens had in all of history, Dib thought grimly to himself.

“And if all else fails I’ll go in for the Tallest themselves. There’s enough to keep everything distracted. I can slip in while chaos reigns. Using the knowledge I have gained, I can break past any barriers they put up and kill them. If the head is gone, the body flounders.” Dib didn’t even feel like he could blink. Hs breathing was steady but, his heart beat a million miles a minute.

Zim’s jaw set as he listened, clenching shut as his fingers scratched at the fabric of the chair. “Dib,” Zim breathed, feeling his guts turn, and his limbs shaking as adrenaline pumped through his body, the human’s words sinking in, slowly. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he shouldn’t have expected any less. He didn’t need to listen to Dib’s plan, because just by marrying him and handing over this knowledge, he had already betrayed his leaders. “I can’t let you kill my Tallest. You know that.”

Dib rubbed his temples, closing his eyes. “Then let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, huh?” Maybe it would only end in someone exploding. “Maybe they’ll reach Earth before we can even set up a defense. Maybe they’ll destroy my entire planet and I’ll be obliterated into ashes with the rest of my kind like it’s supposed to be. I won’t have to kill them because they’ll kill me first.”

Zim scoffed. “It doesn’t matter who gets there first; they will kill you either way.” He shook his head before resting it on his closed fist. “You shouldn’t do this.” He said, again. How long until he could get it through the human’s thick skull that this was a suicide mission? He had about a month to convince him not to go through with it, and Zim refused to give up. He did all this so that Dib would stay with him; how dare he throw it all away?

“Even with the knowledge that you have, you are not trained. Your body is weak; you’ll never survive in a battle.”

Dib growled, sitting up and glaring at the Irken. “So what do you suggest I do, almighty Zim?”

“Stay with me!” Zim barked, shooting up in his seat so that he was on the edge. His lips pulled back into what might have been a growl, but his eyes were sharp with earnest concern. “Stay with me, here in space, where you’ll be kept safe.”

Dib snarled. “And just ignore the fact that while I’m flying through space, being happy and safe my entire planet could be obliterated at any second? My father, my sister? I was just fine leaving them behind when I knew they were safe. And what about the rest of my people? How dare you, how dare you say it’s not okay to kill or hurt any of your people when you’re encouraging me to stay here and let the same be done to mine!”

The rage was rising again, and his chest hurt. It was squeezing his heart out of his chest. The blood running in his veins was on fire. “You tell me how I’m supposed to live with the knowledge that I did nothing! Could you do it? I _know_ you couldn’t. And I can’t either. I would rather _die_.”

Zim was on his feet now, his muscles tense and his shoulders hunched up. His ruby eyes burned with the manifestation of the heat rising in his chest and face. “You miserable cretin!” He growled, his voice hoarse. “After everything I’ve done for you, you’re going to throw it all away for a planet that doesn’t even want you? _Zim_ has loved you; _Zim_ gave you what you wanted, what you needed! What did those people ever give you, other than hateful glances and disappointed scowls?! They hate you; you’re a freak to them! Unwanted! What is so great about that?!”

Dib sat in the silence, the aftermath of their yelling, frowning hard and staring down at the floor. “Because I am human. Because even though they may be pathetic and miserable, naïve and stupid. They are my species. I am not Irken, Zim.” He spat, his body shaking.

“But, because they’re not Irken I should turn my back on them? Would you do the same for me, huh? Would you ignore your species being terminated by _mine_? Would you not go back and try to save them? To fight for them. Or would you be fine with being the last of your kind? Because that’s what I would be, Zim.”

Zim’s face scrunched up at the thought.“That would never happen.” He protested. Growling, he tugged on his antennae in frustration. “If you do this, there won’t be _any_ humans left.” He began pacing, trying his best to avoid looking at the Dib, worried that whatever was keeping him together was going to snap under the pressure of those golden eyes. “You will die in vain. Is that what you want?”

“I will not have died in vain because at least I tried.” Dib hissed, shaking his head, feeling sicker by the moment. “There’s no way to stop me Zim. To convince me otherwise.” He breathed deeply, looking away from Zim, from the alien who just a few hours ago he would’ve give up everything for, pretty much had. Everything but, this.

“I’m going to save Earth. Or die trying.” And that was that. He laid back down in their bed, facing away from Zim and tried to force himself to sleep, knowing it wouldn’t happen but, this conversation was over.

Zim felt the air being knocked out of him with the finality of Dib’s words. He knew that Dib had his heart set on this, but if he thought this was the end of it, then he obviously didn’t know Zim very well. He let Dib go, for now, knowing they had more time to discuss it. There was no way Dib was hearing the last of this.

With a sigh of resignation, Zim plopped down on the bed, his back facing Dib’s. He felt so heavy, though not exactly tired. There was no point in trying to sleep, but it felt good just to lie down. Tomorrow was going to be worse, somehow, and Zim knew that. How were things going to be for them, now? Zim had pretty much ruined everything, was there any way he could fix it? His brow furrowed and his eyes screwed shut as he tried not to think about it.


	28. Still

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What am I going to do when you’re gone?” He whispered into the fabric of Dib’s shirt, his antennae pressed flat to his head, and his fingers burying themselves in the human’s clothes. His voice was strained, and he hated himself for how weak he sounded.

The minutes passed by in a slow, slow crawl and Dib knew what he wanted. He needed to save his people. And there was no way in hell that he was changing his mind. He knew that Zim had betrayed him but, the alien was an idiot and had not been thinking. It wasn’t the first time his idiocy had gotten them in trouble.

This might be the last time. By all means, this was not over. The pain of being betrayed went to his very bones. And tomorrow, for a long, long time, he would carry that with him. But for now…

With a sigh, he turned over, the blankets and fabrics sliding around his legs. Dib reached out and touched Zim’s stomach, sliding upwards, chest and neck till he touched his face, cupping the Irken’s cheek meaningfully.

Zim hadn’t been asleep, but he had let his mind wander into the far corner of his consciousness. When he felt those familiar hands trailing up his person, he jolted, his mind reeling back into place with a sharp intake of air. When his hand rested on his cheek, Zim’s eyes fluttered shut, and he felt himself relax under the warmth of the human’s gentle caress. Had he fallen asleep, after all? Was this a dream? He turned his head, craning his neck to look over his shoulder at his partner, wanting a sense of clarification.

Dib breathed calmly, scooting closer until they were only inches away rather than feet and his thumb stroked Zim’s cheekbone, sweeping under his eye before he whispered. “Whatever happens, happens. But, I…we are one and I love you.”

Zim rolled to his side so that he could press their upper halves together. His arms hooking under Dib’s in a greedy grasp, Zim didn’t care if he was pushing it too soon after what had happened. Dib was back to him, it seemed like, and Zim refused to let him go again. His head nestled into his chest, listening for that heartbeat that had lulled him to sleep countless times before.

“What am I going to do when you’re gone?” He whispered into the fabric of Dib’s shirt, his antennae pressed flat to his head, and his fingers burying themselves in the human’s clothes. His voice was strained, and he hated himself for how weak he sounded.

Dib swallowed and shook his head, wrapping his arms fully around the Irken, pulling them as close together as possible, intertwining their legs. “I-I don’t know…you lived before me. You can live after me.” He nuzzled his lips against the side of Zim’s head, trailing small kisses along antenna and forehead.

Zim shook his head, lifting head to face Dib, peering into his tired eyes. He brought his hands up over the boy’s shoulder blades, trailing the groove of his spine up to the base of his neck. Everything was so warm, how did he not realize how cold he was earlier? He made contact with the fine hair that lay behind his ears, petting and stroking softly as he gladly received the kisses bestowed upon him.

“It’s not that simple.” He protested in a breathy whisper.

“Heh.” Dib breathed shakily, lifting the alien’s chin and pressing a needy kiss against his lips before pulling away by a millimeter. “I wish it was. I wish…” For a billion things. Things that made no difference because it was no use. “I don’t know, Zim…break in and erase me…” He knew it was a stupid suggestion. Knew it was impossible. He pressed their foreheads together.

“I would still bare your name on my shoulder.” Zim reminded, giving a humorless chuckle. He sighed and planted a soft kiss on Dib’s chin before trailing his lips across his jaw, taking in the feel of the human’s warm skin. “This isn’t enough.” He protested after a while. “I was promised eighty years, at _least_.”

Dib’s throat clenched, his chest tightened and the tears wanted to squeeze from his eyes but, he couldn’t let them. He couldn’t go to pieces again. Not now. Or he would never pick himself up again. “I know…I’m sorry.” He grabbed Zim’s hands and twined their finger tips together, capturing the Irken’s lips again, kissing him desperately, biting, licking, wanting everything, everything they were and what they might’ve been. He could picture it easily too.

Spending the rest of his life in space with Zim. They would travel all over the Universe. See everything they could. Maybe find a planet one day that was habitable. Small. But, beautiful and call it home. They would spend the days laughing, sitting in silence because they already knew everything that needed to be said. There were no worries.

Nothing but the stars and late nights, staying up and just tracing their marks made for each other. Kisses and sex. Would they live forever or die in a fiery explosion? Would it be adventure or just being together? Either one would be okay. Because it would be them, together. In their odd form.

How cruel. How cruel was fate to have thrown them together? It seemed too perfect. To begin with his humanity and Zim being an Irken, only to work together, to create animosity. To bind them by blood and technology. And have him fall in love along the way. It was as though despite the distance, despite the one in a million chance, Zim had found him. It was like if it hadn’t happened this way, it would’ve happened in some other way and in a thousand other universes it happened.

Dib whimpered and fought to breathe, releasing Zim’s hands to begin removing their clothing, caressing jade skin that glimmered with a thousand stars. Opening his eyes to see into twin nebulae that darkened with purpose and desire.

Zim smiled a bit at the familiar vulnerability they shared, closing the gap between their bodies now that they were unclothed. His hands trailed over every nook and cranny of the man’s skin, stopping to trace the makings on his shoulder. It had healed nicely, just as Zim predicted it would. Zim’s name stared back at him in Dib’s skin, reminding anybody who the human belongs to. He leaned in close and kissed the scars, following the lines with his lips until they lead him to his collar bone. No matter what happened in the near future, Dib was his, just as he was Dib’s. They belonged together and no distance or war could ever change that. He looked up at Dib, gazing into those darkening golden orbs and felt his own fall heavy-lidded.

So despite the looming danger, the goodbye that would happen whether they wanted it to or not, Dib let himself go, pulling his mate to him and abandoning the worries, losing himself in the feel of desperate kisses, sweat dripping, pants in his ears and claws in his skin. Dib had felt so cold, he’d been frozen and the ice was melting with each second. He pressed his lips to the alien’s own scars, relearned again and again each crevice and edge to Zim’s body.

“I love you…” He murmured, the buzzing in his ears growing louder.

Each kiss sent a new wave of fog over Zim’s mind, and he held onto Dib to keep at least some grasp of what was real. The only thing that seemed to break the clouds in his head was Dib’s voice, bringing him back down with him. He stared up into the ceiling of the ship, past the human’s shoulder as he rocked up and down in a steady motion. They hadn’t needed to speak the words that they knew were there, before. Hearing them seemed to solidify what Zim didn’t even know needed to be confirmed in the first place. He closed his eyes and turned his head so that he was breathing right against Dib’s ear.

“I love you.” He felt as though a weight had come off his chest, letting Dib seep in through the cracks in his skin that it had created. It felt good, so good that he repeated the words. Just letting them roll off his tongue in their deliciously foreign way.

They moved together as one, speaking in tangent. A whole cascade of feelings rolled down his back, goosebumps spreading. A dark, heavy sensation was winding up in his gut. It was familiar and sought after, just as he sought to wring the same results from Zim. And he heard the words pour from the irken and even though he’d heard them in passing, in casual things, casual days but, this was serious. It cemented those words forever in his mind and he knew if he died they would be ringing in his ears the way they were now.

All at once, he came undone, the pieces of their lives falling apart. He was cracked, broken and fixed by a serpentine tongue in his ear. Dib could see a million mirrored pieces of the past, present and the future all at once before it came crashing down to the floor in a flood of reality. The cold air, oxygen and his heart beating wildly in his chest.

Zim fought to breathe as the sensation shook him from the inside out, constricting his muscles until he quaked. When he was released, he felt the blood rush to his head, making him dizzy, but he knew it wasn’t just the act of what they had just done that was the culprit. Everything was all too real all of a sudden; maybe it was the words they shared.

But Zim was suddenly all too aware of the time they’d have to spend apart, and potentially the last time they’d get to see each other at all. He brought a hand up to his forehead, wiping the sweat off his brow as he tried desperately not to think about it. Everything was perfect in this moment, and this was where he belonged. He needed to stop trying to ruin it.

He looked to Dib, who looked as tired as Zim was beginning to feel. He didn’t need to say anything as he moved into the human’s arms, letting himself hide from everything else, especially the future.

Panting, Dib pulled the blankets up over them to protect from the chill of space, before wrapping his arms solidly around Zim, under his PAK and keeping them skin against skin as he gained his breath back. The urge to black out was strong, to forget about what would be real in the morning. So, he hid his face in the crook of his mate’s neck. It was damp, warm and the pulse of a alien heart lulled him to sleep like a lullaby. Without speaking, his lips moved against Zim’s skin, ‘I love you’.

Zim sighed softly and tangled his hands in Dib’s hair, resting his cheek against the top of his head. The cold that surrounded them didn’t dare pierce the protective bubble of warmth they had built up for themselves.

With his legs wrapped around the human’s waist, Zim made sure that he was going to be there when they awoke. He kissed Dib’s head, his thumb sweeping across his fine hair as he drifted off. He knew what Dib was speaking against his skin even if he didn’t hear it, and gladly repeated the phrase for him, letting the words linger as they fell asleep.


	29. Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim felt the distance between them, though they were skin against skin in the voice of space. He felt Dib’s heart beat under his head; nestled in his ribcage, guarded from Zim in more ways than in just flesh and bone.

Dib stretched and woke up, conveniently when they were approaching a sun so it was nearly light in their space ship. And for a few seconds he had a moment of déjà vu of lying in bed on a Sunday morning, with birds chirping and the cursed sun to greet him before it passed and he sat up with a groan.

His stomach rumbled and he pushed to his feet, ducking into their ‘pantry’ area, picking up some left overs from their last trip, some really delicious berries and popping them into his mouth, turning to lean against the side of the doorway. Zim was lying nearly face down in the blankets. He could tell from the sound of the pak’s hum that the dork wasn’t really deep into a recharge. It wouldn’t be long before he was up and as loud as usual.

Zim smacked his lips as he awoke, his arms stretching out to grasp at the human, only to turn up short. He patted the space next to him before opening his eyes and looking around. He sat up on his elbows, his belly to the still-warm sleeping area and looked over to see Dib standing there.

“No wonder it’s so cold.” He grumbled, laying back down and burying himself in the covers. Zim hated a lot of things, but more than anything he hated mornings. The nearby sun didn’t help at all. “Come back to bed.” His muffled voice was too groggy to sound very commanding, yet.

Dib popped another berry in his mouth, smirking. “I was hungry. You be quiet.” He protested, not moving an inch. Of course he wanted to crawl back into bed, but part of it was just getting Zim annoyed. It was fun to do. Getting him all worked up and turning light pink, fists clenched and angry eyes. And it was even funner to get rid of it too, usually by kissing him. Dib felt too pleased with himself, crushing a berry between his teeth.

Zim moved the blankets so that a glaring magenta orb could peer out at the smug human. Ah, so he was playing this game, was he? Well Zim could play right back.  
“Do not tell Zme what to do, now get back in here before my appendages fall off from the cold.”

Dib swallowed the last of his fruit, licking his lips before flopping back down in the giant nest of blankets with a groan. His skin was popping up with goosebumps because of how chilly the spaceship was as he turned to Zim. “There. Happy?”

"No." Zim stated simply. He threw the blankets over the both of them and nestled into Dib's, now chilled, skin. "Now I am."

Dib scoffed a bit as the blankets went over his head and smothered his face. But, he couldn’t really complain as warm Irken laid all over him. “Hah. Well, that’s…great.” All of a sudden, his brow furrowed at yesterday’s events wormed their way back into his brain. Dib stared up at the fabric, it might’ve been some sort of shawl they’d gotten from a trading planet, small pinpricks of light breaking way through the seams.

“Zim…how long until we get to Earth?”

"Mmm.." Zim hummed thoughtfully. "A month, or less." He opened his eyes, staring forward at nothing in particular. "We have time, Dib-thing. Do not fret."

Dib’s internal voice hissed, _‘Easy for him to say. His species isn’t on the verge of extinction.’_ But, on the outside, he merely nodded. Now that the proverbial sun was up and reality was setting in, Dib was having a moment of numbness. He wasn’t as angry as he had been. He wasn’t ready to break down at any second. Nor was he exactly filled with adoration for the one in his arms. Right now, he just was so tired. But, he felt restless.

A month. What was he going to do for a whole month? Human time didn’t really exist out here, but it was hard to not think in those ways when you had your whole life. So technically, it would take .0023490898 or some other ridiculous number of a lightyear to get them to Earth. But, a month was an easier way of thinking.

Zim felt the distance between them, though they were skin against skin in the voice of space. He felt Dib’s heart beat under his head; nestled in his ribcage, guarded from Zim in more ways than in just flesh and bone. The invader looked up at Dib, his eyes scanning over the human’s far away stare, his dark lashes skimming the fabric of the blanket as he blinked. With a resigned sigh, Zim pulled himself up, causing a tent to form around him before he pulled the blanket off.

“What shall we do?”

The human pushed his glasses, miraculously still intact after all this time, further up the bridge of his nose and tilted his head to the side in contemplation. “Huh. I don’t know.” A quick glance around the ship showed how cluttered it was with all the trinkets they had managed to gather in their travels. Bottles of different beverages, discarded but, Dib refused to throw them away because they were wonderful and from other planets.

Little wires, machines and broken parts from flea markets. Chemicals, and incredible fabrics, that were currently wrapped around them. Some were scarves, big enough to act as blankets, real blankets and huge knitted coats designed for creatures with more arms than Dib had. He’d even managed to find a new trench coat for himself. It was pretty bad ass, actually. Long, flowy and very warm. The hood went over the top of his face in case of sandstorm or when he was trying to hide an expression from Zim.

“I uh, suppose we could decide what all I’m taking with me? You can probably keep most of it.” Since he wouldn’t really be needing it. “And if I come back, well you can keep it all safe.”

Zim waved a hand, looking over his shoulder at nothing in particular. He didn’t want all this junk; he had no use for it. The only reason they had it was because of Dib. Most of this stuff Zim was able to make off with, but only because he knew the human would appreciate them. “What am I supposed to do with this stuff until I find you?” He asked, finally, not looking back towards him.

Dib ran a hand down the back of his neck, and shrugged. “I don’t know. You could just…throw it away I guess?” But, for some reason his manic need to keep everything rebelled at that thought. Get rid of trophies of his travels? Of stepping foot on alien worlds? How else would he prove to himself that it wasn’t just a dream. “Or…I can just take it with me.” And it would probably collect dust in his room because he’d most likely be dead.

No. Don’t think like that.

Dib shoved to his feet and collected his clothing, pulling it on and settling in the co-pilot’s chair where he’d been the night before. Outside the ship’s circular shield, stars flew by quicker than he could process. He pressed a hand against the window. He would miss this, too.

Zim mimicked the human, getting up and dressed before making his way to the pilot's seat, though he decided to stand. He felt restless, as he often did upon the ship. It seemed to be getting worse, however, now that he knew they had such limited time together.

Dib’s brows furrowed as his suggestion was sufficiently ignored and the silence droned on. With a huff, he began shuffling through all their things only to stop not even ten minutes later because it was just that painful. So, for those next couple of hours, he just stared out at space while Zim pretended to fly the ship.

 

* * *

 

Hours seemed to drone on forever in their awkward silences, but once they were gone, they seem too soon to have passed. But Zim kept trying, because persistence was written out in each strand of the Irken's DNA. Or was it stubbornness.

"Who will explore space with me?"

“I don’t know. You can explore it on your own, can’t you? You’re a mighty Irken solider. Why do you need a pathetic human to come along with you? I’m just slowing you down.” It wouldn’t work. It was all a ploy of the irken’s to make him feel guilty, never mind that it was working. In response to Zim’s frustrated groan, he got up and locked himself in the storage part of their ship.

It was kind of hard to avoid someone who you shared less than fourteen square feet with, though Dib did his best. It was either that or suffer in such overwhelming agony that he was caught between punching something and crying. Neither was an option. So, during the ‘day hours’, he hid and kept himself busy with useless things so that Zim wouldn’t ask him stupid questions or try to convince him to stay.

But, during the ‘night’ they laid together, bodies intertwined, whispering endearments and grasping at their last hours till earth loomed over them.

It infuriated the Irken, but he took what he could get. During the day he would pass by where he knew Dib was hiding and mumble things to try and coax him out. Most of the time he got nothing in return. It was as if he only existed during their time in bed.


	30. Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “it isn’t goodbye. I promise…80 years, Spaceboy.”

When the blue dot began to look like a planet, Zim’s mind worked in overdrive. His fingers flew over the control panel, the lights illuminating his tired eyes.

“Yes!” He exclaimed, triumphantly. “We’ve managed to beat the armada by just a few days. How amazing am I?” He laughed, shaking his head knowing there was no real answer to his question. His amazing-ness was infinite.

Dib’s amber eyes locked onto the steadily growing planet and all those feelings, the anger, panic, fear, sorrow, anticipation, dread…all vanished. It was as though finally seeing it, setting his decision into action had solidified what he was planning to do. This small azul marble was what he was risking his life for.

Numb, he breathed deeply and smiled a bit. “Yeah. You’re wonderful.” It wasn’t sarcastic, just dull. A few hours and they could reach the first atmosphere of Earth, a few more and they would land somewhere on green, familiar land.

Zim gave the human a glance, ready for some backhanded compliment, but it never came. With a heavy sigh, Zim pretended to look busy with the control panel. “Unlike the cruiser, it may be a bit more conspicuous of us to just fly into the atmosphere in this ship. Unfortunately, there are no other options. Let’s hope the humans haven’t stepped up their defenses since my last visit.”

Dib nodded, stepping back from the big windows and went to prepare his things. Not that he was taking much…just some special stuff. A wrapper that he’d found shoved into his old suit from Foodcourtia. A little sphere that Zim had ‘borrowed’ from a vendor back on Fishika, which held a tiny forever, swirling nebula. His trench coat that carried his numerous weapons he’d garnered. And an image captured by what might be called a photographer; The creature, with it’s many arms had an object that scanned them and put the ‘picture’ on a little chip. Press the button and it unfolded, a hologram. A 3-d Image of Zim looking impatient and himself, looking like a kid in a candy store. But, they are standing really close together and despite their height difference they just look…right.

All of this went into the recesses of his pocket. All of it fit in one.

“I thought you weren’t going to take that stuff.” Zim seemed a bit put off as he circled around in his chair to watch the human. “I’m not going to throw it away.” He defended, crossing his arms. Indeed, most of this stuff carried the same memories for him that Dib cherished. Though Zim wouldn’t admit to being sentimental, he wouldn’t have the heart to part with them.

“I’m not taking all of it.” And there was a lot that he _could_ take. The maps, the posters, pieces of technology, the bigger weapons, food boxes, little videos, the blankets, scarves, religious tokens, text books…he could. But, he wouldn’t. “I’m just taking the things that really matter.” Besides well, the obvious. He cleared his throat and looked around at what had quickly become home.

Zim sighed, his features softening a bit as he pushed himself up and made his way over to Dib. In a few hours they would part, and whatever happened after that…was pretty much up in the air at this point. Who knew if this stuff would even survive what was to come? Zim clasped a hand on Dib’s shoulder as he looked around their living space.

“It doesn’t have to be this way.” He tried for the umpteenth time. Maybe the gravity of the situation was finally sinking in through that dark hair. Maybe now, Dib could see that it would be better for him to stay with Zim.

Dib turned his head to looked down at Zim. Down at an alien face. At least alien in origin. Because now it was the most familiar thing in the entire universe to him. He’d spend hours staring at it, tracing it, watching it for laughter, anger, desire…he could see past that and into the mind that lay beyond. And it was inside of him as well. The numbness was still there but, he felt his throat clenching up none the less.

“Yes, it does.”

The finality in his words made Zim’s gut drop, his antennae drooping as he stared into the face of his companion. Soon to be ex-companion.“Fine.” He breathed, the hurt clear in his weak voice. “I’ve tried to save you, Dib, but it is clear you do not want my help.” He tore his gaze away, glaring at his boots.

The human’s brows furrowed and he grabbed the alien’s chin. He lifted it till the other’s eyes met his own, reluctantly. “Hey. Stop that. You…already know why I’m doing this. We’ve talked about it. You know that I love you. You know that.” The tightness in his throat wasn’t decreasing by any, as he searched Zim’s face, although he wasn’t sure for what.

“I’m not asking you to give up your Empire for me. I’m not begging you to help me. I am asking you to understand why I’m doing this. Why I have to. And that no matter what happens, that you are part of me.” A few tears might’ve escaped if the hot, blurr was anything to go by but, this time he didn’t care about sucking it up. Fuck tears. He had a reason to cry.

“Erase me, Zim. You’re good with technology. It’s possible, I know it is. Or at least clear me from your head then. If this is going to hurt you…then delete everything.”  
Zim couldn’t believe what he was listening to. Dib had made this suggestion before, but Zim had assumed he was just speaking out of hurt. But now…was he seriously suggesting that he do such a thing?

He watched the tears spill over his heated cheeks and knew the sincerity in his words. Zim shook his head, freeing himself from Dib’s fingers before hiding his face in the human’s chest.

“You moron! What would that accomplish! Even with you out of my head, I’ll always have you within me. In my very being. You are in my skin, code, my DNA. Nothing could ever change that, you big headed…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the statement as his body tensed up to push back the tears. A few harsh minutes rolled by before he spoke again. His voice was soft and high pitched in a whimper.

“You promised this wouldn’t be goodbye.” Behind them, the control panel warned that they were approaching Earth’s first atmosphere. How long had they been standing here? Seconds? Hours? Years? Time held no reason while they were together.

Dib looked out the window, where they were heading closer towards the dark green and blue surface of his planet, before quickly locking eyes with Zim. Those were tears. Real ones. Zim was real and he would have to hold onto that when he was gone. His jaw twitched and he reached a hand up in the alien’s direction before dropping it.

“I-I hope it’s not. But, I can’t predict the future…and you said yourself. I’ll probably die. At least if you delete the memories it’ll be just an empty ache. One you can’t put your finger on. It won’t haunt you for the fucking centuries you live for.” He didn’t want that. And Dib knew if he could feel right now, the agony of that idea would be tearing him to pieces.

Zim shook his head again, furiously this time. Those weren’t the words he wanted—needed to hear. “No, Dib! You tell me right now that this isn’t goodbye!” He demanded, gripping onto the human’s jacket. “You have to promise. And if you break it, I swear I will scour whatever pitiful afterlife you human’s believe in and I will find you and make you pay for breaking your promise to me.”

His lips curled up in a grimace and his shoulders hunched up as he fought to keep the sob from breaking free. “I am an Irken, and I do not let go of what is mine, easily. If you think I’m going to let you leave without you swearing to me that we will see each other again,” He looked up, his eyes a dangerous shade of magenta. “You are sorely mistaken.”

The air hitched in Dib’s throat and for a second it was gone and whether that was because of how fast they were falling on autopilot or because the look on Zim’s face made him want to rip his own heart out, he didn’t know. Dib tried to swallow and failed. So, instead he nodded. Slowly at first but, then soon it was all he could do and with shaky hands he reached up and cupped the alien’s face, thumbs brushing at dark tears.

“Yes. No. It isn’t-“ The air was coming back to him. “it isn’t goodbye. I promise…80 years, Spaceboy.” And fuck, he would do his best to keep that promise.

Zim reached up and grabbed the human’s face as well, bringing him close. The reflection of the impending planet danced in Zim’s eyes as they darted back and forth between Dib’s two. “At _least_.” He stated simply before sealing the deal with a heated kiss.  
The vessel shook around them as they made their way through the atmosphere.

With a final nod, Zim rushed to the control panel. Dib was catching his breath from the kiss, had sat in the co-pilot seat, buckling his belt and waiting for the bumpy ride he knew accompanied the entering of atmospheres. Zim’s brow creased as he maneuvered the ship, breaking through the clouds until finally pulling them into an even cruise. “I assume you want to be let off at your old home?”

When they were finally in the clear, Dib’s heart beat over time because he could see civilization. At least the kind he’d once been so used to and now seemed almost alien in and of itself. Like tiny shining specks. They could almost be stars, only stars were much more brilliant.

“Yes.” Odds were Gaz was home but, dad was at the lab. He could change, grab what tools he would need and book it.

Zim wanted to ask if that was wise, considering he had pretty much abandoned his father. The last time Dib had seen him. But, fuck it, the human seemed to know what he was doing.  
Finding the area he had once fled from proved to be easier than he had imagined at first. Just like he had done all that time ago, he eased the ship into the back yard of Dib’s house. A much tighter fit that with the cruiser; one side of the fence gave way easily to accommodate for the vessel.

“Let’s make this quick; I doubt we weren’t noticed.”

There was no time to gawk at his house and the fact that he was back! In this little, dirty street where he’d grown up, riding bikes, chasing big foot, playing with his imaginary ghost friends in the backyard who turned out to be real…Dib shook himself and pushed away from his spot, making sure he had everything and pushing the button so the ship’s door opened. It opened with that silent whoosh.

But, just as he laid one foot outside on the earth ground, he turned back to Zim like being yanked backwards, grabbed him, encompassing the alien’s small body in his arms, and kissed him desperately before pulling away.

“I promise.”

“Eighty years.” Zim reminded as he leaned out of the ship to meet the human halfway. His claws ran over Dib’s shoulders as they parted. They seemed to move in slow motion as the ship’s engines idled loudly, reminding them that this moment could not last forever.

Finally Zim tore away from the bittersweet farewell, sinking back into the ship and closing the door. This was it; they were on their separate paths now. Zim lifted the ship off the ground, taking a tree branch with him as he ascended.

“Don’t make me hunt you down in the afterlife, Dib. Don’t think I won’t do it.” He spoke to himself, watching the human shrink below him as he drifted farther and farther away. Back to the sky which no longer held any promises of glory. Only the promise of utter desolation and the impending doom of the armada.


	31. Buying Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim felt his chest swell with pride, only to shrink back almost instantly. Any other time he would have been more than happy to bask in the Irken glory. But the planet that lay behind him, while utterly useless and otherwise of no interest to him, held his lover, his mate, his husband. Any planet he stepped on was deemed priceless by default.

Dib watched the ship get smaller and smaller and only when it wasn’t even a dot anymore, when he couldn’t make it out from the rest of the darkening sky did he almost fall to his knees. No. Not right now. Not until the world is safe.

Running from the wreckage of his backyard to the door, he was surprised when it was unlocked. Inside, well, everything was normal. It was like stepping back in time. Back several months, back a year, back when he was a little boy and the kitchen was the same, the light glowing from the living room, the same. It was so clean it sparkled.

Now the speed was gone, in favor of treading into the living room. The tv, something he hadn’t seen in what felt like forever, droned nearly on silent. A purple head was bent over, hiding behind the couch, playing some video game he was sure. Hadn’t she heard the ruckus outside?

“Gaz?” His voice felt un-naturally loud. The head didn’t even flinch.

“Hey, Dib. Welcome back.”

And that was probably the nicest thing she had ever said to him before. “Thanks.” He replied, just before running up the stairs, nearly tripping twice (the gravity was hard to get re-used to) and throwing open the door to his bedroom, afraid to look. What would he see?

And that was the same too. Except dustier. Nothing had moved. It was all there. The science equipment, the ten little lab kits he had. Posters of famous inventors and space plastered on his wall and hidden in his closet, books upon books about the paranormal. He had only been in there a few minutes and already wanted to tear it all down. This wasn’t him. This had never been him.

So, he didn’t change clothes. Dib left the dirty space suit on because that was more like himself than he’d ever been before. A quick glance in the window showed how a few months had changed him. A more defined jaw, dark whiskers on his chin, his hair was much messier and he looked darker in that suit. So out of place in such a plain room.

Dib grabbed his computer and ran back down the stairs and out the front door, racing hell for leather towards the biggest building in town, Membrane Enterprises. Along the way he spotted a paper sign that hung haphazardly on a lamp post. It was falling off and water damaged but, it was there. A bright blue poster with his face on it. “Have you seen me?”

Dib figured he was about to give his father the surprise of his life, as he skidded down the street, crashing into a car and nearly falling more than once. Earth's gravity felt strange now. The security at Membrane Laboratories had only increased and Dib was afraid they wouldn’t let him in. But, maybe they could sense his determination or maybe he looked authoritative. Or crazy. Or maybe he just looked like his father. But, whatever it was the two guards in the front let him pass without a word.  
With each second that ticked by, Dib felt the weight of the Alien menace looming over them and every single clock in the building was ticking their doom.

People stared at him as he sprinted by, panting heavily. He paid them no mind. It was when he shoved the door open to what he knew was his father’s personal laboratory that Dib suddenly cared about everything all too much. There were more than ten people in the room with Membrane and they all turned to face the dramatic entrance.

Dib’s chest heaved with exertion and he searched each of their faces until he met eyes that matched his own, that were widening behind goggles. “Son?!” He yelled, muffle behind his collar, voice cracking as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Dad.” This would be where an emotional reunion could happen. It might’ve happened. It would happen later but, he knew that hugging and spilling their souls wasn’t the most important thing in the universe at the current moment. “Look, I know how weird this is gonna sound but—“

“You’re alive!” Membrane cried, pushing past all the other scientists who were beginning to mumble to themselves about how the kid had gotten taller, his hair was crazy, he looked dirty, darker,as though he’d seen something that none of them had before.

The tall man, slapped both hands down on his son’s shoulder and squeezed tightly with joy. As it was, being a scientist…well, expressing emotions wasn’t so easy when you knew exactly where they came from. But, at that moment he could’ve danced. His son was home. A million questions begged to be answered; where have you been? Why did you leave? What happened? Are you okay? But, none of them came out as he sensed that Dib had something important he had to say.

“Yes…I am.” Dib replied, nodding to reassure, reaching up and squeezing one of the over-sized, rubber covered hands. “And I have so much to tell you but…right now, you _really_ need to listen to me.”

* * *

 

Zim cursed that wretched planet with every word he had in his vocabulary, and maybe some that didn’t exist anywhere but in Zim’s head. He spewed expletives at the shrinking planet, the one that took Dib away. Though he was angry, he couldn’t say that he hated the planet; not like he used to. While it was covered in ignorant life forms, begging to be ruled, it held one jewel. One tawny colored jewel.

Zim leaned forward in his seat, turning the ship around so that Earth was no longer in sight. The space ahead of him harbored the fate of Zim’s future. The Massive. Still a ways from Earth, but as its name surely gave away; it was an impressive ship. It could be seen days away, floating in space as the harbinger of ill fate to anybody who laid eyes on it. Its color a stark contrast in a bold statement of confidence. The Irken empire has no need for stealth; its raw power was enough to overcome any foe.

Zim felt his chest swell with pride, only to shrink back almost instantly. Any other time he would have been more than happy to bask in the Irken glory. But the planet that lay behind him, while utterly useless and otherwise of no interest to him, held his lover, his mate, his husband. Any planet he stepped on was deemed priceless by default. With a click of his tongue, he coaxed the ship forward. No doubt the Tallest had questions for him. He’d try to buy Dib time, but that was all he could do at the moment.

The ride to the Massive was dreadfully long and uneventful. Until the Invader had to swerve past the cavalry. The Massive was swarmed by the smaller vessels; a ship on a sea of…smaller ships. They were but dots compared to their mother-ship. Truly an armada if Zim ever saw one. They weren’t holding anything back. Dib’s speech must not have affected them in the way they had planned; but it did affect them, after all. They must really be looking for a fight. Unfortunately all they were going to get was…Earth.

Dib didn’t stand a chance. Zim already knew that but…looking at what the Tallest had brought to the table now. It was incredible.

After what felt like eons of wading through his brethren, Zim finally came to the docking area. The ship opened for him, inviting him in as it had done only a few times before.  
A sense of déjà vu, and Zim was rubbing his head as he jumped out of the ship he had come to call home, into the one that he had wanted to be so long ago.

Winding hallways zoomed past him, a sense of urgency pushing his muscles without his consent as he made a bee-line to the Tallest’ chamber. He didn’t even wait for the guard to get a word in before Zim pushed passed him and hit the control panel.

“My Tallest!” He barked as he entered, not waiting for the doors to slide open all the way.  
“Forgive me,” The guard trailed in after him. “My Leaders, he pushed by, I tried to stop him.” He groveled.

The two, rather colorful Irkens sagged visibly at the sound of Zim’s voice. “What are you doing here, Zim?” One of them spoke up, but neither turned to face him.

“My Tallest, isn’t this a bit much?” Zim asked, holding his palms forward. “It’s just a miserable little spec! W-heh-Well I could take it out myself!” He laughed, nervously. “Is there really a need for the entire armada to lower to such a meager task?”

“Meager!” Red laughed. He swung his arm out as he turned. “And yet you couldn’t even manage to scout for information! Instead you bring back a human and promises! Worthless!”  
Zim drooped, rubbing his hands together as he shrank away.

“I-I..It was…I didn’t…” His wide eyes darted around, looking for something. Anything. “I served you well! I only wanted what was best for you—us! Earth is more valuable as an ally, I assure you.”

“Not this again!” Red growled. “What! To protect you little love-pig!” Red’s eyes narrowed as Purple turned to face the small invader as well.

“We know about your little stunt, Zim. Creating a union with him. What did you exactly hope to achieve?”

Zim opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His mouth seemed as though it was lined with cotton. He smacked his lips, taking a step back. “My leaders, you don’t understand.” Zim tried again. “Earth has resources. At the very least, you don’t need to _destroy_ it.”

“We weren’t going to.” Red smirked, wickedly. “Not until you expressed such an interest in it, anyway.”

Zim felt his spooch come up to his throat. This was his fault? The Tallest must have sensed something great in the planet if Zim wanted to keep it so badly. Surely they are looking to snuff out any threat to the empire. Of course!

But, he couldn’t let this happen. He loved his leaders, but he loved Dib more. Turning on his heel, he didn’t dare a salute as he ripped out of the room like a bat out of hell.

“Should we stop him?” Purple asked, taking a few strides towards the door.

“Let him go.” Red scoffed, turning back to the window. His army lay in front of him, willing to do what it took until there’d be nothing left of the puny planet ahead of them. And with it, Zim. “There’s nothing he can do, anyway.”


	32. Treachery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turning away from you was the worst treachery I could have ever committed.

At Dib’s orders people were going, buzzing, running from place to place because this was the final hour. The Massive has been spotted a day away from Earth and doomsday was half certain. Membrane and his son had been locked in a room talking for hours but, now the great professor was in the thick of it, putting finishing touches on things, making sure those orders were going through. People were being rounded up, put into underground shelters that could survive nuclear bombs. Dib figured if the Irkens used their cleansing laser as per usual then the humans should be safe.

When Dib emerged from the conference room he’d spent nearly ten hours in, it was with dark black circles under his eyes and rumpled clothes, hair disastrous but, he had a serious demeanor. One that was set in steel. He was going to save his planet or die trying. And that was at a worst case scenario because he _would_ see Zim again. It was a promise.

There was plan A. One that rested deep in the content of his laptop and in the objects he would bring with him to the Massive. Plan B was to defend themselves with brute force and wait out the storm while people evacuated. Plan C relied on hiding beneath the surface of their planet for the end to come. Dib would rather die than let it come to that.

People gave him looks. They weren’t the almost reverent respect that Membrane often garnered but, rather they were filled with need and hope. They wanted him to win. They needed him to win. And as Dib grabbed the weapons he would need, hooking them into his trench coat, his fingers brushed against the objects he’d taken from the Ladybug…

He would get to the Massive using their own ship. Granted it wasn’t nearly as advanced as the Irken’s cruisers but, it would suffice for the trip.

* * *

 

The lady bug was right where he left it, of course. But he would not need it, this time. While his ‘spooch sank at the thought of leaving his makeshift home behind—all those memories and trinkets—he knew that this was much more important. For this he would need speed and accuracy. He would need…

“Ah, hello, old friend.” Zim ran his gloves along the sleek surface of his Voot cruiser, tracing some of the scratches and dings from their past adventures together. “How I’ve missed you.” He drawled as the cruiser popped open for him. “Time for one last go. Think you are up for it?” He hopped in, running his fingers over the familiar panel, his blood a dried stain of a memory of a thousand years ago along the metal. With a slight whine, the ship came to life, the lights illuminating the Irken’s face. “Good.”

Without looking back, he peeled out of the Massive, like he had done so few times before.

Once with a human companion, and now to save the very same. He couldn’t allow himself to look back; he couldn’t allow even a moment of hesitation. He couldn’t think about how he was practically abandoning his Tallest, his mission, his people. He could only think of Dib.

Dib’s backyard was still a mess from days ago when he had left the human here. It was disheartening, to say the least. Maybe he wasn’t here? Then again, it’s hard to think of the aesthetics of your home when your planet would soon be under siege. The cruiser was a more appropriate fit, though it didn’t matter anymore.

Zim hoped out, shivering at the chill that the wind carried. Last time he had been on this planet, the sun was bearing down on him with no mercy, now it hid behind grey clouds. The leaves had lost their vigor, and the grass was crunchy under Zim’s boots. It was as if the Earth was already surrendering.

Zim was at the door in a flash, his antennae pressed flat for warmth against his head. He expected the door to be locked, and was prepared to turn and shove at the metal handle with all his strength. He nearly fell on his face when the door gave in without a hitch, and Zim found himself in, what appeared to be, a kitchen. The first time he was in Dib’s house. He hunched down low and peered around with wide, alert eyes, as if he expected the ceiling to come down on him. The place was so humble compared to the buildings on Irk, he wouldn’t be surprised if the walls gave out.

Enough of this, he decided.

“Dib!” He called out, taking flight and running out of the kitchen, into the living room. He recognized the public broadcasting thing, which played on some crude human cartoons over an occupied couch.

“Augh what _is_ that!” He nearly shrieked when he saw the tuft of purple hair just over the back of the couch. Zim’s first instinct was that it was some sort of animal, thanks to the purple-furred indigenous species on a certain recently conquered planet. Dib never said anything about heaving pets. Was it guarding the house? He readied himself in a defensive pose.

The purple haired beast grunted and didn’t even glance in the alien’s direction. “Be quiet.” It barked, curling around its game console. Whatever was disturbing her had exactly two seconds to shut up or it would feel her wrath. Only two sections left to go till she leveled up.

Zim drooped. Oh, it spoke. Well animals certainly didn’t do that. Not usually, anyway. This must be the sister Dib had mentioned. What was her name again? Gas?

“Sister-beast to the Dib!” He barked back. “I am looking for him; you will tell me where he is!” He circled the couch to face her head-on Oh, she was even uglier from the front.

“Urgh. He ran out the front door nearly eight hours ago. Probably went to dad’s work. Now, shut up and leave, you stupid alien.” She hissed, fighting the urge to crush this bug into the floor.

Zim’s lips peeled away from his teeth. He had a retort (of course, it was Zim, after all) but it would have to wait. Dad’s work? The Membrane labs? Zim hissed and made for what he assumed was the front door, letting out a sigh of relief when he was greeted by the streets. These Earth homes weren’t exactly easy to navigate, even in their simplicity.

All the doors looked the same! A moment of hesitation before he ran outside. Was it wise to storm the streets in his current attire? No disguise? After a moment, he decided he didn’t really care. If the humans had never seen an Irken before, they had better get used to it; there’d be a whole lot of them running around here, soon.

So with that Zim flew down the streets, his cheeks a rosy pink as the wind bit at his face. The cold air stinging his throat as he sprinted. Luckily, he wasn’t so out of shape that he couldn’t make it to the labs without a need to stop and breathe.

The guard threatened to stop him, but he was easily kicked to the side, and Zim was over the gate in a second.

“Now what.” Zim thought, looking around. The doors required a code to get in. One that he did not, obviously, posses. “Luckily,” He thought out loud as his PAK gave way to four mechanical rods, towering over him and glowing red hot. “I have a key.” A blast of pink, followed by smoke, and Zim was inside. “I should have done it this way the first time.”

 Well, if Dib was here, he was certainly aware of his presence by now. People scattered, screaming and running. They ran for hazmat suits and fire extinguishers because that was instinct when things blew up in a laboratory only to pause when it wasn’t something hazardous but, a small green man, that sped past them without a second glance.

Word of the break in ran fast. The second that Zim had breached the first gate word had been sent to Membrane. Everyone was confused. It came with the panic. He was hesitant to tell his son, because the boy was already so busy and it seemed unimportant considering he had no idea what exactly was breaching security. It could be frantic civilians for all Membrane knew.

It wasn’t until the doors to the landing bay were hit and bent several times before being shot inward in a spray of concrete and drywall that the scientist truly worried. Membrane turned towards the explosion, watching as the smoke cleared and the lithe form of an alien stood in the wreckage and not just any alien but, THE alien. The one that had taken his son from him.

Unexpectedly a rage bubbled up in him. “You!” The professor cried, glaring heatedly from behind his glasses. They should’ve dissected him on that first day.

Dib’s instincts almost had him diving towards the ground. When he was with Zim, explosions weren’t out of the ordinary but; his father’s yell had him turning out of curiosity. His breath caught in the back of his throat and part of the tension in his spine unraveled. “Zim!?” What was he doing here?

Zim wiped some of the remains of what used to be a wall off his shoulders, kicking some shrapnel away from him as he strode into the room. A warm welcome greeted him with a familiar face. Those glasses, that voice.  In a wide stance, Zim set his weight on one foot and crossed his arms over his chest, giving the professor a sly grin. The muscles in the center of his face bunched up, as if he were wrinkling his nose.

“Hello, _Professor_ ,” He spat the title out as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. “Miss me?”

Behind the collar, Membrane’s lips curled up into a scowl. “Yo-you monster! You kidnapped my so—“

“Dad, stop.” Dib cut him off before it turned ugly because with Zim’s hotheadedness and his father’s stubborn need to always be right…it could go on for a very long time. He stepped forward, placing his laptop and weapons on a nearby table as he walked towards Zim, running his eyes over his body. It felt like they hadn’t seen each other in forever though it had only been several hours.

“What are you doing here?” His voice sounded rough as he spoke low, fingers itching to grab Zim’s arms and pull him close. As it was they were only a few feet away.

“Here to help, of course.” He answered simply. He rounded the table to fuss with the human’s laptop, not that he knew much about the human technology. He figured it would be simple enough to crack; it was obsolete by Irken standards, after all. “The security of this place is pathetic. I could have killed every human here and been out by now.” He waved a hand as he spoke, his eyes on the screen. “I hope your planet’s defenses are substantially better.” He gave a whistle. “You’re going to need it.”

Dib rolled his eyes and grabbed his laptop back. “Gimme that.” He put it back into the carrier and threw it around his shoulder. “We weren’t exactly preparing for an Irken to come running in here solo. We’re more prepared for the organic cleansing sweep.” He said, haughtily.

Membrane looked back and forth between the two, his large brain processing body language and trying to connect the dots. But, it still made no sense. He felt like there was something he was missing.

Dib looked back at the ship he was supposed to be taking, making a point not to meet Zim’s eyes. “Besides…what about your Tallest? What about…your Empire?” Those were the most important things to an Irken. It was like breathing. Like water and blood, the loyalty for their people ran bone deep.

Zim sighed a bit, looking down at nothing in particular, his nearly non-existent lashes hiding away the ruby mass of his eyes. “What do you think will happen, Dib? They will blow away the surface of this planet and leave it be?” He looked back up to meet Dib’s gaze, which was not returning the favor.

Zim reached up and gently grabbed the collar of the human’s jacket, needing him to heed his words. “I am not turning away from them, but I am not helping them. Not with this one. I am not choosing them, nor Earth.” His hand slithered under the jacket, over the smooth surface of Dib’s warm chest and over his shoulder, where it laid to rest.

“I am choosing you. The Empire may own Zim’s name in their records, but you own my body and being. Turning away from you was the worst treachery I could have ever committed.”

Dib finally looked back at the alien, reaching up to curl his fingers around Zim’s hand where it rested over his scars. The back of his eyes felt hot, chest tight and he tilted his head downwards to press their lips together. There really wasn’t any way to describe what he felt in that moment. An Irken choosing him over the Empire…it was gut turning in the best way.

They didn’t even hear the loud gasps and the confused stutter that came from Dib’s father. What was happening? Was his son gay? An xenophile? A freak? What had he done wrong as a father? But, it didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter right now.

“Dib!” Membrane prodded. “You must leave soon if you wish to make it before the Massive gets close enough to fire off the first shot.”

Zim relished the kiss, breathing in every second of it. He shot Membrane a glance as Dib parted before looking back up at him. A sly smile played out on his lips. “I hope your ship is big enough for two.” A pause. “I guess that doesn’t matter, though.” Not when they had already spent so long crammed in the Voot. It was actually something he missed, slightly. Apart from bleeding out from the leg, that is.

Dib breathed out the urges he had to keep the kiss going, to curl into Zim and let the alien do anything to him and take him anywhere because when they were together nothing else really seemed to matter and he didn’t want to be responsible to for Earth. He just wanted to fly through the stars and travel planets with his mate. But, he straightened up and grabbed the little duffle bag of weapons he would be taking with him.

“I’m sure there’s enough room for two.” Dib replied, smirking. “But, I warn you now, Zim. If you come with me, you be good. No trying to talk me out of things, no trying to take control of the ship and fly us away, no getting in the way of my plans…okay?”

Membrane and the other scientists, getting over the newest in a long line of shocks, began typing in the final launch codes. Space travel had gotten much easier than it had used to be. But, it was certainly no Voot cruiser. Ready to take off like a car would. It had to be programmed. Luckily they’d done that hours ago.

“I’m always good!” Zim barked, circling Dib as he walked. “So what is the plan, anyway? Got the weak points pinned down, or are you just gonna storm in there like a lunatic?” Zim grinned, but that grin faded when he saw the ship they’d be using. It was impressive, but only in size. “This is the scrap heap we’ll be making our entrance on?” He shook his head. “Irk help us.” Bad choice of words, considering the situation.

“Yeah, yeah, Good-boy. Shut up and get inside.” Dib replied, dryly. Membrane came up behind him and grabbed the boy’s shoulders, squeezing tightly. He’d just gotten his son back. Only to lose him again.

“Are you sure bringing the...alien along is a good idea?” Dib glanced behind him as Zim tried to figure out how to get inside and treated the whole thing like it was a giant rat he was trying to ride instead of a ship.

“Yeah. I mean, I trust him.”

Membrane hesitated before nodding slowly. “Then you be safe. Come home.” This time it was Dib who hesitated, unsure if he should say that he could die. That this could be the end. And that even if he did survive, home wasn’t here anymore. It wasn’t earth. It was the stars and a cramped spaceship. It was an alien. It was Zim.

“I’ll do my best, dad.”


	33. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tallest’ attention singled in on the human as he spoke up, both of their heads snapping to face him in unison. Red and Purple jewels stared through him, four eyes to one living entity.

With that he stepped inside the ship, dubiously named a long listing of numbers and strapping up in the pilots chair. “Buckle yourself in, Zim. It’s not gonna be smooth like the Voot or the Ladybug.”

Zim gave the human a panicked look before doing as he was told, struggling with the buckles before they finally snapped in place. Buckles for a ship, how restraining. His true panic didn’t set in until he heard the booming voice over head count down until launch off. Beads of sweat formed as the anticipation grew.

Finally, take off was sounded and they took to the skies. Dib wasn’t kidding about it being a bumpy ride. Zim gripped the sides of his seat so hard his knuckles turned a creamy white beneath his gloves.

“Dib!” He drew out his name as they ascended. The craft was loud and shook violently, Zim was certain it would fall apart around them. Fear made his guts turn and he thought he was going to be sick. He looked to his mate, his eyes perfectly oval in his state, his antennae pressed flat. And there was Dib, with a wide grin on his face, his eyes beaming in excitement. Zim never wanted to punch him as badly as he did in this moment.

Dib had forgotten how much of a rush these stupid things were and seeing Zim’s reaction was another reason to smile. Over the sound of wind breaking past them, rushing faster and faster, breaking the sound barrier and hurtling through the atmosphere, he had a huge grin on his face. “You’re fucking adorable.” He yelled over the din, his blood on fire.

And it took them longer than it would’ve to get close to the massive had they been in the voot, they did get there in one piece. Over the headset, Dib slipped on, he could hear his father and the others, babbling back and forth.

“You’ve reached the final atmosphere. Give us your observations.” A monotone voice demanded of him.

“The Massive is in sight. It’s not surrounded with as many ships as usual. But, it does have the several military ones on the outskirts, probably watching for something like us.”

“Got it.” Membrane replied this time. “Estimated time to visual?”

Dib did a few mental calculations, glancing sideways at Zim who finally seemed to be getting his wits about him. “Not long. Maybe thirty minutes.”

“Right. Then engaging in ship core disguise…now.” There was a hum and the bright blue lights over the control panel switched to a dark pink, bathing them in the familiar color.

From the outside it looked like an earth ship but, from his time around Irkens, Dib recognized that they often depended on their technology. If they could see an Irken signature code on their readings they would think nothing of it and let them slip past.  
Zim glanced around them, taking in the familiar color as a sight for sore eyes. He was ready to be off this ship. He glanced out their window to see that their outer layer had not changed. That was somewhat of a disappointment.

“Clever.” He admitted, looking back to Dib. “But we have eyes, Dib.” He sighed, sitting back. All he could do now was hope that it worked. He looked towards the ship they were on route for, surprised that there were less ships than before. “Something’s wrong.” He looked around, moving in his seat to try and see around the Massive.

“They’re docked. They are expecting us. The Tallest must have anticipated this after I left.” He tapped his chin. The military rovers that circled the ship wouldn’t be a problem if Dib’s cloaking idea worked. But what bothered him was…“They are most likely all in the docking station. A good ambush move, but with tactical error.” He looked towards the duffel bag the human was so kind to provide. “Nowhere to run.” He added with a smirk. “What do you have in the way of explosives?”

Dib raised an eyebrow, thinking silently for a second before slowly shaking his head. “No explosives. It’s fine if we get taken in. That was sort of the plan. I just need to keep my things and be taken to the Tallest.” The most important part was making it to the dock without being shot down. Or at least that was the biggest challenge right now.

“I don’t want to hurt any of the Irkens unless absolutely necessary.” The ship continued to float forward, taking them closer and closer towards their fate.

Zim hummed. Even on the brink of his world’s peril, Dib was a bleeding heart. More so than Zim could ever imagine. “You’re a fool. But damn do I love you.” Dib was sparing his people, even though they were threatening the humans. Dib never ceased to impress Zim. He held up a claw. “Listen to me,” He began, his tone taking a sudden seriousness. Their time was running out and the docking station was opening for them. “If you have a plan, I’d _really_ like to hear it right about now.”

Dib grit his teeth and nodded, taking a deep breath and wondering just how to begin. “Well, we get taken in. Hopefully, to the Tallest because they’ll want me, the big pain in their ass to see my planet destroyed. The guards glance mildly at my stuff but don’t see it as a threat because pssh, what could be a threat to the Mighty Tallest? I walk in…show them why humanity is worth saving with a very nifty slide show and a few um, special weapons that the scientists on my planet have been working on…and pray it works because if it doesn’t then…well, your leaders die and my planet probably gets smoked.” He grinned painfully, the very idea of either twisting his guts into a bow.

Zim’s features were stoic as he listened, but as Dib spoke the final word, they twisted into unbelieving, with a mixture of anger and maybe something else, but it was hard to tell. His lips twitched as the ship came to a stand-still.

“That’s your big plan!” He seethed. “You moron, they’ll kill us both!” He slammed a fist on the seat’s arm rest before wrestling to undo his restraints. They had been waiting for them, just as predicted. They were just as puzzled about the craft as Zim was, and pointed their weapons at the vessel, waiting for whoever inhabited it to show themselves.

Dib returned the scowl, speaking quickly into the headphones. “In the landing bay. Open the cockpit but slowly. They’re armed.” Before turning back to Zim. “Will you shut up? I know what I’m doing. Now you either stay here or be quiet and follow along.” He hissed just before the door lifted and revealed them to the Irkens who actually seemed to relax when they saw it was the human. This was no threat, though the ship confused them with it’s odd core. Must be a glitch.

Several came forward and searched the vessel, glancing at Zim, confusedly before prodding them out. Dib kept his bag close by. “This plan didn’t work the first time,” Zim whispered harshly. “What makes you think it will work again? You can’t appeal to them!”

Zim hissed when one of the soldiers prodded him to keep him quiet. They weren’t a threat, but the Tallest had given them orders to see the two, regardless. Zim kept his head low, his gut turning as they were lead down the familiar hallways, to the foreboding door that held their fate behind its steel frame.

All the way down the foreboding hall, Dib breathed in and out, calming himself, clearing his head, ignoring the panicking irken next to him. In his head, he ran over his lines, thinking back to the first time they’d done this, back to the advice that Zim had given him when they’d been dressing to look respectful.

This time his uniform was old, it was worn and smelled of Earth. He lifted his chin, throwing his shoulders back. Dib made his face, not blank, but fierce. _‘Stand as if you are prepared for anything. Irkens are a fighting race and we do not respect the weak.’_

The doors hissed open and the Tallest awaited them.

“I gotta say I’m surprised, Zim.” Purple spoke up, but with a chilly amusement in his tone. “Betraying us for a human? I never saw it coming. Did you?” He asked, turning to his red counterpart.

Zim visibly shrank back, not having the heart to look his leaders in the eye.  
“I didn’t.” He whimpered.

The second they walked into the Tallest’s quarters, Dib no longer felt fear, but determination and rage. Unlike every single creature who worked on this ship he did not fear these over sized bullies.

“Leave Zim out of this. He may have gotten us into this mess but, his part is over.” Dib commanded in Irken. _‘Speak with a strict tone, loudly and clearly.’_ He stood as tall as he could, thinking of them as ants. _‘Use that height to your advantage.’_

The Tallest’ attention singled in on the human as he spoke up, both of their heads snapping to face him in unison. Red and Purple jewels stared through him, four eyes to one living entity.

“Ah, the human. Do not think we’ve forgotten about you.” Red spoke, lacing his digits together. “You’ve gone through a lot of trouble to speak with us, again. I hope, for your sake, that it’s worth it.” His tone grew bitter as he spoke, his playfully devious expression twisting into a hard glare.

Zim stared in awe at Dib, though he would never admit it if the human happened to turn and look at him at this moment. He was really going to do it, wasn’t he? He wasn’t going to hold anything back, not with Earth at stake. Dib’s confidence washed over Zim, and he mimicked the human’s stance, standing up tall, his legs wide and his hands in fists by his side. Dib wasn’t alone in this; Zim had made it clear where he stood in the universe when he went back to Earth.

“Oh, it is.” Dib replied, noticing the Irken next to him straightening up, acting less like he was afraid and more like the fearless warrior who had faced so much by his side.  
“Very worth it….and I’m going to give you one last chance to spare Earth.” The ‘or else’ was unspoken but there none the less. Dib stared back into the Tallest’s eyes, without fear, without doubt even if it festered deep, deep within. There was no room for it now. He felt his fingers twitch towards the bag around his shoulder.

The tall Irkens shared a sideways glance before Red clicked his tongue. He put his hands behind his back and strode a bit closer to the human, keeping space between them, yet closing in enough to tower over him.

“And… _you’re_ going to convince us of why we should, is that right?” He held up a hand and waved it in a circle, coaxing him. “So go on, tell me why we should spare Earth, and what will happen if we don’t. I haven’t had a good laugh in a while.” From behind him, Purple let out a snicker, his features twisting into a heinous expression of amusement.

Dib’s own lips curled up in a cold smirk. “Well, we could start with this.” He said, before pulling out the weapon hidden in the fold of his bag and quickly pointing it first in Red’s direction then Purple’s, firing off one shot per each. There was no blinding light, no loud noise but, each Irken felt their world turn a bit off kilter.

“If this thing is working correctly, which I was assured it was, your time clocks should be showing up right about now, telling you, you have ten minutes till your life drains from you and you become empty shells. Conveniently that’s also how long the effects take to wear off. Or I could flip the switch and everything would be nifty. But, first things first.” His other hand reached into his bag and pulled out a separate gun.

“This one is a normal earth pistol. Should you move an inch, this will terminate you permanently. Now, you’re the leaders and I assume you’re selfish enough to not want to die or give up your positions, now tell me…are you willing to listen?” He finished, deadly calm.

A chilly silence fell over the two leaders as they looked back and forth between themselves and the pair that stood in front of them. Red’s face twisted into an expression of disbelief.

“Zim, you are going to let this creature stand there and point a weapon at us?” He asked in a rushed tone, holding his hand out. Zim took in a deep breath, his head cocking to the side and his eyes glinting dangerously.

“Well, my Tallest, I DID warn you.” The invader stated coolly.

Red blinked a few times, staring at Zim before his brow furrowed and his lips peeled back in a growl. “What do you want?” Purple asked, finally.

Dib’s fingers clutched the trigger, adjusting minutely as he stared down both rulers. The power, even if it was temporary, was very heady indeed and it was only made more so by Zim standing by his side, unafraid.

“Well, I obviously want my planet safe. Meaning, no lasers, no new invader missions. Maybe even an official truce like we had first planned.” Dib bit out scathingly, taking a step forward towards the one with red eyes. “Watch the purple one, Zim.” He pressed the barrel of the gun to the Tallest’s head. The safety was on but, the Irken didn’t need to know that.

“Now before you say anything, I feel like I should give you a bit of history on humans. Let you know what you’re getting into a bit better. Convince you why we’re worth saving.” Dib hissed, making sure to look the red one in the eyes, even if he had to look up a little bit.

The room was silent for just a moment as Dib decided to get cocky in his shining moment of heroism. The hum of the ship seemed louder than ever in that single moment, as if it was protesting the entire situation. It whined and creaked as it sauntered through space, still creeping closer to Earth regardless of the efforts taking place within its hull to stop it.

Red’s long, bony fingers twitched in response to the cool metal being pressed to his head. His eyes, already dangerously dark in from the back-lighting of the large control boards in the front of the room, narrowed in on the human standing before him. He channeled all of his hate for the entire universe and singled it on this lowly creature. His vows to kill him, to make him regret being so bold, were a malicious glint in the blood-red orbs.

Purple, less composed in the situation than his counterpart, watched the human was a wary expression. He was feeling panic well up in his slender frame, but with nothing to do about it, he simply watched with a growing expression of turmoil. He hardly gave Zim the time of day, even in this situation, regardless of the accomplished air rolling off the invader’s being.

Dib’s fingers adjusted automatically on the trigger, watching the red tallest’s hatred grow in maroon eyes. “Humans are brutal. We’re no mighty Irken armada. We aren’t united as one species. But, we fight among ourselves. In fact we’ve been killing each other since the beginning of time. We have wars. Wars where our own kind are gutted, or put into acid showers by the thousands. We carry weapons like the one I’m holding to you, into battle and shoot scorching pieces of metal deep into each other’s bodies.” Dib frowned grimly.

“We do this to our own flesh and blood. We destroy our rulers with assassinations, deploy bombs onto holy places, come up with the worst weapon imaginable so we can use it to threaten whoever disobeys us.” The grim expression twisted into a colder frown, as he neared the end of his speech.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is this; if we can so easily kill one of our own kind, what would stop me from killing you, right at the second?” Dib made sure to look straight into the alien’s eyes as he said it. “I could. I would. And the Irkens will have no leader. I have humans right now, ready to nuke this ship. We are a bloody race and we won’t go down without a fight. But, I’m here. And I am giving you a chance, My Tallest…to turn around. To turn around and never look back….”

The anticipation was rising in his gut. Dib wanted to throw up, he wanted to laugh and cry. But, mostly he wanted to look back at Zim, to check if he was doing this right, to see his mate’s reaction. But, he did none of the above, only swallowed.

“Will you take it?”

Zim’s head turned to look at Dib as he spoke, his feelers giving a slight tremble against his scalp. He seemed as if he was looking at Dib through another dimension; the situation had turned Dib’s face into that of a stranger. No longer the seventeen year old boy that had rescued him from a glass cage so many years ago, it felt like, but a hardened soldier with the burden of lives on his shoulders. No longer a smeet, but a man; one who had seen things and shouldered every burden up till now.

Zim would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed, but he was also slightly frightened. A chill danced across his skin and elicited goose-bumps. And suddenly Zim no longer wished to relish the moment of making his leaders tremble in their combined might; he wanted to be back with Dib in their ship, in the lady bug, and have his old Dib back. The Dib that was still just adjusting to the new world, with wide eyes and never ending questions.  
And while Zim’s confidence faltered, Red’s did not.

“Then do it.” Red ground out, slowly. “What do you think killing us will accomplish? New Tallest will be chosen; others will rise up. Killing us will only ensure your planet’s safety for so long.” He reached out and clamped his spindly fingers around Dib’s wrist, twisting the fabric around the boy’s flesh. “So do it. You’re a cold hard killer, right? You’ve been travelling with Zim, after all. How many have you killed? Dozens? Hundreds?”

“Stop!” The Purple one gasped. “Are you crazy!?” He was at Red’s side in an instant, shaking him by the shoulders. His purple eyes were perfect ovals as he looked to his counterpart with worry and fear. “This filthy planet isn’t worth it; let’s just get out of here.”

Dib‘s expression didn’t know what to do so it went completely blank, keeping fixed on the red tallest’s eyes, waiting to hear the irken’s response to his co-ruler’s insistence. “But, you see, the thing is, is that I don’t want to kill you. In fact that’s far from my goal. I just want my brutal, useless, filthy planet safe. I’ve killed no one. In my entire life. I would hate for you to be the first.”

Zim smacked his forehead. Dib, you dolt! What did he keep telling the human about his leaders? They didn’t respect the weak. Would it kill Dib to lie, just _once_?  
The corners of Red’s lips twitched, threatening to give way into a dark smile.

“Why?” He asked. “Having the blood of a Tallest on your hands would grant you a tremendous respect throughout the galaxy. I thought you humans were ruthless and brutal?” He prodded at the structure of the human’s earlier speech, his tone smug. “I don’t see it.”

Dib, instead of being flustered, smiled and with a single kick to the tallest’s knees, sent him to the ground, so that he was on his knees before the human, and he shoved the butt of the gun that much harder against the Irken’s temple. “Humans, are. I am not. Because I am different from them. I’ve traveled the universe, I’ve become privy to your knowledge. I have it all in my head, my Tallest. I know your weaknesses. I am not just any human, but a benevolent one. I’ve dreamt of the stars my whole life and I got what I wanted. I tamed one of your invaders and now he is mine and I, his. I have, YOU, the ruler of one of the greatest empires on your knees. I don’t need to kill you, my Tallest…because the longer you delay…you’re killing yourself. Your timer is ticking away. And you’re slowly fading. While, I am strong. You would do well to fear me. Now, I ask you again, while you’re still able to respond, are you going to leave my planet alone?”

Red’s breath came out in a pained hiss, his tongue coming up against the roof of his mouth to contort the noise into a snarl. His growl effectively masked Purple’s gasp, who only watched.

Zim moved in closer, taking his place beside Dib. He straightened his back when Red’s eyes darted over to him, the look of utter disgust clear on his features regardless of the blood that began to trickle over them. In the silence the ship hummed, the various machines thrumming in unison to create the illusion of a steady heartbeat. The workers watched with anticipation and dread as they could do nothing but watch their leaders fall before them.

“Human, you have done a great deal of creating the façade of your strength. In this…..I applaud you. But know that this war is far from over. You’ve created a terrible enemy in your actions. But….seeing as how we do not have much choice.” He took in a deep breath and deflated when he let it out. His shoulders slumped and his head bowed. “We retreat.”

Dib’s cold façade was chipped with a small grin. New enemies. That was okay with him. As long as earth was safe for now, he could deal with the threat of a future attack later. They would be ready and even stronger. “Good. As soon as we’re safely off the ship, I’ll reactivate your PAKs. And just to let you know, should you try anything stupid, like NOT leaving…we’ll nuke your ship.”

With that, he turned on his heel and left without a glance back at the rulers, his only look that deterred from his straight forward path was a quick check to see, that Zim was with him. They’d won. They reached the earthian’s ship, with Irkens staring at them in obvious confusion.

But, Dib was true to his word and as soon as they were out of the way of the Massive, he pushed the button that reactivated the Leader’s paks. “We’re heading home.” He said into the mic. “Earth is safe.” Hundreds of miles away,people celebrated. People cried. And cheered.

And Zim had effectively turned his back on them. After the events of the day, there’d be nothing Zim could do to regain his place in his leaders’ good grace. He looked over his shoulder as he watched the Massive shrink in the distance, a tight feeling in his gut. Everything he had worked so hard for…gone. Gone with the simple act of siding with a human. He turned around in his seat to face forward, his brow tense and his eyes scanning the air in front of him.

“That’s it, then.” Zim said, slowly. “It’s over. We--…you won.” His gloved fingers curled into the fabric of his uniform, wringing it slightly. Slowly, he turned to look at Dib, who was gradually turning back into the boy that Zim had fallen in love with.

Suddenly, the reality of what had just happened hit him light a freight train, and he was tensing up. His mouth stretched into a wide grin that lit up his eyes. “You did it! You reduced them to nothing!” Why was Zim so happy about this? He had devoted his life to his leaders. But he had always secretly wanted to be _better_ then them, and now that reality was in sight, thanks to Dib. He jumped up and threw his arms around Dib’s shoulders, landing a clumsy kiss to his chin. “I knew I wouldn’t regret rescuing you.”

Dib sputtered, suddenly attacked by the Irken, he instinctively wrapped his arms around Zim’s waist, holding him there. He was unsure how to answer, but didn’t really bother trying to decode Zim’s actions, instead just let a huge smile spread. “We did, we won, Zim!” They’d had their victory. After all the doubt, the pain and tears. The fear. Earth was safe, for now, and he could be with his mate. They could have their dream. A frazzled laugh bubbled up in his throat and he leaned his forehead against Zim’s, as the ship rocked with reentry.

“I did promise you, right? 80 years, at least. Well, we can have that now. There are a few things to be cleared up back on Earth…but after that…we can go back to space." Zim held tightly onto Dib to keep from bouncing around too much as they entered Earth’s atmosphere, being too preoccupied with other things to worry about his seatbelt.

“80 years,” Zim sighed, wistfully. Eighty more wonderful years of just them, doing what they do best and exploring the galaxy. It was such a shame that they didn’t have their Ladybug anymore, but Zim was sure they could think of something. Now they could truly start their lives together, and Zim no longer had to worry about what was to come. Now it was just them, and the thought made him smile fondly. He raked his fingers through Dib’s hair and closed his eyes, taking in the human’s essence.

“You were very brave, back there.” He said after a moment of silence. “However, I _do_ have some pointers.”

Dib’s lid fluttered nearly shut at the sensation of three fingers, running through his hair, though he kept them cracked open enough to keep Zim in view. An eyebrow rose. “Oh? And what might those be?”

“Well, for starters,” Zim started slowly, leaning his head back in thought. “When someone asks if you’ve killed anybody before, you always say yes.” He returned his gaze back to Dib’s face. “Idiot.”

Dib smirked and shook his head. “ _You’re_ an idiot.” And that was all that they were able to get out without having to yell because then the ship was shaking so badly that Dib was afraid of getting whip lash. "Buckle yourself in, loser! We’re landing!” He pushed the irken back into his seat and pulled the belts over him.

Unlike the last time they’d reentered the earth’s atmosphere, instead of feeling like this could be the end of them, of everything he’d ever known, Dib knew it was just the beginning. The adrenaline of feeling like your world could come to pieces at any moment, made his heart beat in his ears but, the terror was held back by the simple fact that his hand soon found Zim’s and their fingers intertwined. “You can finish complaining about my methods of saving the earth later!”

Back on the ground, they had a lot of explaining to do. People would wonder what had happened. There was no hiding the existence of aliens now. There would be questions, and hard answers. His father would wonder what had happened to him for all those months and it would be hard to explain the fact that though it had started as something he’d done for earth, it had become all he’d ever wanted. They had to get a new ship, or find some way of building onto Zim’s voot because there was no way they were getting the LadyBug back now (they should've grabbed it while they were there) and no way this ship would make it far.

There was a whole list of things to do, all of the uncertain future. His grip on Zim’s fingers tightened as large green and blue spaces turned to tiny dots of civilization. They would figure it out. They always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only the epilogue left!


	34. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End.

Epilogue:

The silence of the control room lingered, only eased when the two tall figures breathed in as their PAKs whirled to life. The purple one set a hand on the red one’s chest to help him up. He grunted and brought a hand to his head, looking at the warm, pink blood that stained his fingers when he brought it back.

It had been a long time since his own blood had been spilled, but it in no way brought the rush of adrenaline that it would have in normal conditions; on the battle field fighting for his planet and for his empire. This time it only brought forth a rush of hatred, one of which he hadn’t felt since the battle for planet Vort.

“How dare they.” The purple one spat.

“Easy,” Reassured the other, tearing his eyes away from his blood covered fingers and to the large window. Earth still lay in the ship’s sights, pathetic and small, just like the life inhabiting it. “They’ve won this round, yes. But this is far from over.”

* * *

 

Their landing was masked behind a thick plume of dirt and debris, followed by the chaotic boom that gave away their rather ungraceful return. The two emerged as heroes, or rather, _one_ did. Zim watched said hero scramble out of what used to be a ship and into the open air.

The wind was as unwelcoming as it had been the first time Zim landed on this wretched planet, only now there was a different taste that accompanied its usual smog; a bitter-sweet taste of freedom. Dirt and dust clung to Zim’s proud uniform as he clambered over warm metal and he fought to breathe over the mess they had created.

The cloud was being blown away, revealing the two forms to the rest of the world, and Zim watched as it all came into view; the world he had risked everything for. But that wasn’t exactly true, was it? The world he sacrificed everything for was standing next to him, trying as hard as Zim was to make any sense of the temporary chaos they created. This was what he wanted—or at least this was what he had been fighting for. So, why didn’t feel overjoyed?

Zim sighed and stood at his full length, and as the wind revealed the sky to him, he could only frown. Pink still monopolized the sky, looming over him like a demon. A demon he once called home, and was now peering down at him with distaste. He felt his shoulders sag as he watched the monster recede, slowly, slowly, back into space.

His proud Irken insignia on his chest was a fire burning through him, leaving a perfect shapely hole through his body. A missing chunk of his very being, a hollow spot in the very soul of him. As the distance grew between Earth and the Armada, so did the hole grow in his chest, until he felt he might topple over with nothing left to support him but his brilliant ivy skin and his tired bones. He had no idea what was going to happen now, but he was certain they’d figure it out.

Dib found it hard to say anything over the din of people yelling. There were reporters, with microphones and lenses shoved in his face. A huge crowd of panicked people who were trying to understand what was happening. And he could see the vehicles from Membrane Laboratories coming closer, all from the huge crater the ship’s crash had caused.

Here he was, known to the whole world now. It was something he’d once dreamed of, long ago. Of being known for doing something great. In fact, when he’d first started this mission, saving earth had been in the forefront of his mind. But, always, there’d been the idea of glory. Being the hero of mankind.

Now, all he felt was the urge to climb back into that ship and get the hell out of here. All the faces were a blur and he knew that this was only the beginning. Yes, he’d done what he had to do. He’d saved his people and that was wonderful. But, what else had been done? There was a chain reaction being set off here.

Dib blearily looked beside him, at the ivy skinned alien who was staring up at the retreating armada. To anyone else he appeared to be impassive. But, Dib could see the buried pain, the new emptiness that was just now setting in. His decision to take the side of his mate, a human was officially taking its toll. Zim was now cut off from the hive, from the only home he’d ever known.

Dib would be eternally grateful to Zim. But, he would also end up lying awake at night for years to come, torturing himself about that burned look on the irken’s face, wondering if there was anything he could’ve done to make sure it had never been put there in the first place.

At that current moment, Dib tuned out the desperate humans, who were looking for answers, tuned out the large form of his father making his way through the crowd and just reached over, grabbing Zim’s gloved hand. He hoped to convey that he was sorry for what Zim would have to go through now, he wanted to show that he was here for him, that he wasn’t without a home or a family, because Dib would do his best to make up for the loss in any way he could.

The roar of the crowd was a buzz in the back of Zim’s head as he watched the clouds envelope what used to be his home. He was pulled back down to reality, suddenly, by a soft pressure on his hand. As he whipped his head around, the sound of excited yells hit him hard, causing his head to spin. He called out for Dib and pulled himself closer, holding onto his human in fear of being swept away in the masses. He had to shout to the person in front of him, who looked remarkably like a man instead of the smeet he had first encountered.

“Dib! What do we do now?” His antennae pressed themselves flat against his head, trying to seem invisible as he grew more and more aware of the throng of eyes that were glued to him.

The human held the irken as close as he could, wincing at the barrage of people surrounding him. He could hear his father, yelling at people to get back. The shouts of body guards and police. Dib looked down into Zim’s nebular eyes and searched for an answer in them. He swallowed because there was none there.

“We’ll figure it out…” Dib yelled into the alien’s antenna, realizing that people would want to hurt Zim or worship him, there would be no easy way of getting off this planet, of getting back into space, and that there was the small matter of the irken armada and what they had invoked by defeating them.

“We always do.”

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it folks. It's been a wild ride. Me and Banshee are ever so grateful for all the comments and support you all have given us. And I loved writing it with her because she is a beautiful person with a knack for writing and arting and being great so p much she's good at everything. 
> 
> I asked her if she wanted to say anything and here it is, word for word: _I don't know hahah I gonna miss it and I love this story and loved working on it bluhblhublhubl I'm gonna cry_
> 
> She's eloquent as fuck. 
> 
> Anyway, before this gets longer than the actual epilogue, let me say thanks. And also, that we're thinking of writing a sequel so... yeah. 
> 
> For the last time, Banshee plays Zim and the Tallest and I, play Dib.


End file.
